Fight Hina
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Crossover with Street Fighter. Ryu and Chun Li take over as managers at Hinata House while Keitaro takes a 2 month break. The story is complete, but what if Keitaro had refused Ryu's offer to help and deals with the girls himself? Alt. Ending Pt. 2 added.
1. Prologue

Fight Hina

A Love Hina/Street Fighter crossover fanfiction

By The Headcrook

Legal BS Disclaimer: All characters and locations of the Street Fighter series are the property of Capcom Entertaiment, while the characters and locations of Love Hina are the property of Ken Akamatsu. This is my first crossover with an anime and I was intrigued with the idea of mixing Street Fighter with Love Hina. Several characters from the SF roster are slightly OOC, so don't flame me on that.

About Ryu's swordfighting style: The idea came to me that aside from Ansatsuken, Ryu is also a shihan (master teacher) of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu, a swordfighting style which is a combination of elements from numerous fighting styles, such as Iaido and Battoujutsu. Like Motoko's Shinmeiryu style, Ryu's kendo style also uses ki attacks, albeit on a more destructive scale than Motoko's, but up to part to Tsuruko.

Prologue

Hinata House - Hinata City, Japan...10 years earlier

The young boy watched as the three men - an older, balding man with a beard, a blond American and a Japanese man - bid their goodbyes to the owner of the Hinata House, Hina Urashima, and her daughter, Haruka. The two younger men were both in their teens, around his aunt Haruka's age. The boy had grown especially attatched to the Japanese teen in the white gi and matching headband.

"Do you have to go?" the boy asked shyly.

The Japanese man crouched down. "I have to go. I have to train to become the strongest fighter in the world." He noticed the frown on the boy's face. "I'll tell you what...let's make a promise. If you ever get into trouble, or if you need help, you find me, okay?"

The boy nodded. "Okay." He then raised his small hand. "Promise?"

The taller man clasped his hand into the boy's. "I promise." He then took his worn duffel bag and slung it over his shouder. "See you around, Keitaro."

* * *

On the other side of Kanagawa Prefecture, Present Day...

"Hello...hey, Sempai, I think he's coming to."

Keitaro Urashima found himself lying flat on his back. His jaw was sore, as well as the rest of him from landing who-knows-where. As his vision cleared, he saw that he was inside a massive training hall of some sort. There was a teenage girl around his age looking over him, waving her hand over his face, occasionally snapping her fingers.

"It's a miracle that he didn't die from taking such a fall," another female voice said.

"I've seen him before," a male voice said. "It was ten years ago. Ken, Master Gouken and I were guests at the Hinata House."

Upon hearing those words, Keitaro was completely alert. He assumed a sitting position as the girl moved back. The training hall was huge, and he found the souce of the voices. One was male and Japanese while the other was female and Chinese. The Japanese man was muscular, wearing only a tattered white karate dogi. A red hakimachi was wrapped around his head, keeping the dark bangs out of his eyes. He was seated beside him, in the lotus position.

The Chinese woman was curvaceous, and dressed in a one-piece blue tracksuit with yellow trim. Her long hair was braided and bunned, secured with yellow ribbons. The teenage girl was simply dressed in a white V-necked shirt and a pare of track pants. A white hakimachi was wrapped around her head.

"How do you know about the Hinata House?" Keitaro asked. He looked at the man closely. "Wait a minute...do I know you some somewhere?"

"Last time we met, you were a little sprat," the man replied. "You've grown, Keitaro."

Keitaro blinked. "Ryu-sempai? Is it you?"

Ryu Hoshi nodded. "It's me." He gestured to the girl in the skirt. "You caused a scare in my apprentice when you landed in the courtyard of our school."

"Hey!" the girl objected. "It's not everyday that a guy comes crashing into the courtyard of the school."

"Keitaro Urashima, my student in the martial arts and physical education major, Sakura Kasugano," Ryu introduced. "Sakura, this is Keitaro Urashima." He then gestured to the Chinese beauty beside him. "My wife and co-owner of this school, Chun Li Xiang. Sakura is a freshman at Tokyo University."

Keitaro blinked. "Tokyo U? You got into Tokyo University? I've been trying for the past three years!"

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah. The entrance exams wasn't that hard with Ryu and Chun Li tutoring me. You must be a ronin."

Keitaro nodded. "I am."

"So how's Granny Hina?" Ryu asked. "Is she still running the hotel?"

"No. Granny is travelling the world. She's turned the Hinata House into an all-girls dorm. I'm the landlord and owner."

"Lucky you," Ryu said. "The male landlord of an all girls-dormitory."

"Like hell it is!" Keitaro snapped, getting to his feet. "Every day for the past year, I've worked my butt off to keep the dorm running and what thanks do I get? I get tested upon, used as a means to an end, punched and slashed to hell! It's a miracle that I'm still alive!"

The Tokyo University aspirant was now trembling. "I've put up with their crap long enough! All I get is a Naru-punch and a Shinmeiryu ki attack for my troubles! **I'VE HAD IT!**"

Ryu and Chun Li were silent as they watched the male Urashima rant and rave. Sakura was apalled at the sight.

"This ends when I get back! I don't give a damn about their personal lives! Those three are **OUTTA HERE! THEY ARE EVICTED!**"

Keitaro took a moment to catch his breath. Chun Li was speechless. After a tense minute, Ryu said, "Maybe we should talk about your little problem."

* * *

Inside the kitchen, over a pot of tea, Keitaro opened himself up to the couple. He told them everything from his past failures on the Toudai exams, being used as a scapegoat and everything in between.

"I guess I really can't blame you for how you feel," Chun Li noted. "You're the manager. Why didn't you call the cops on them, or had them evicted a long time ago?"

"He sees the good in the bad," Ryu explained. "Young Urashima has always sacrificed so much and asked for nothing in return." He turned to Keitaro. "It looks like you're reached the breaking point, Keitaro. You need a vacation."

"But who am I going to get to look after the place?" Keitaro asked.

"I remember making a promise to a 10 year-old boy," Ryu replied matter of factly. "I was eighteen at the time. That promise was that should you ever run into trouble, you find me and I'll help you out in any way I can."

"The idea sounds tempting," Keitaro said. "But what do you know about management?"

"Look around you, Keitaro," Chun Li butted in. "We both run a dojo together. We just haven't opened it yet," she added sheepishly.

Ryu was in deep thought. "You said Shinmeiryu? You know Tsuruko Aoyama, the Shinmeiryu shihan?"

"Former shihan," Keitaro said. "She's no longer the heir. Her sister, Motoko is. Tsuruko gave it up when she got married. You know the Aoyama family?"

Ryu nodded. "I do. I fought Tsuruko several years earlier." He turned to Keitaro and grinned. "It was a draw. Aside from Ansatsuken, I am also the current shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu."

Keitaro blinked. "Ansatsuken Shinjutsu?"

"A style of Kendo that is the diametric opposite of the Shinmeiryu style. Shinmeiryu focues on ki attacks, while Shinjutsu focuses mostly on offensive techniques. One strike, one kill." Ryu explained. "But like Motoko's style, Shinjutsu also uses ki attacks. Look, you need some time to rethink things over. Let me and Chun Li deal with the girls."

"Well, I got to warn you," Keitaro rebutted. "The dorm is a circus."

Ryu and Chun Li exchanged glances. "Trust us when we said that we've seen worse," Chun Li replied, whinking about all of the fighters that Ryu, Chun Li and Sakura had faced over the years. "Comes with the territory. Do you got any files on the tenants, just so we know what we are dealing with?"

"I can tell you right off the bat," Keitaro replied, taking a sip of his tea. "There are four girls living there. First up is Naru Narusegawa."

"I've heard of her," Sakura butted in. "She was number one on the mock exams last year."

"And she is also a ronin," Keitaro continued. "She is also very violent and Naru-punches me for the slightest offense, which is how I got here. Next up is Motoko Aoyama, the heiress to the Shinmeiryu School in Kyoto, having been granted her black belt at fifteen years old. She thinks all men are perverted and only wants to get into a woman's pants. I've also been on the receiving end of her ki attacks. It's a miracle I'm not dead yet. She is also scared of turtles."

He took another sip of his tea. "Next, is Mitsune Konno, the fox of Hinata House. Everyone calls her Kitsune. She claims to be a freelance writer, but all I ever see her do is drink sake and bet on horse races. She also wiped out my life savings when her and Motoko were looking for me last year. She is conniving and I have to bribe her with sake or deduct from her rent of I want her to do something. The next-to-youngest is Shinobu Maehara, the dorm's cook. I know she means well, but she is much too young for me.

"Then there is Kaolla Suu. She is a princess from the island of Molmol. She is hyperactive and likes to kick me in the head. She is also a geinus and uses me as a guniea pig to test her inventions on me. Why I'm not dead or missing something I'll never know. The last two girls who hang around the place is Mutsumi Otohime and Sara MacDougal. Mutsumi loves watermelons and is very friendly. However, she is prone to fainting spells and anemia. Sara is the adopted daughter of Norimasu Seta, an archaelogist. She has a tendency of smashing clay pots over my head."

"So that's it?" Ryu asked.

Keitaro nodded. "That's it."

Ryu turned to Chun Li. "Well, Li. What do you say?"

Chun Li smiled evilly. "I'm game. But first, we got to make this official." She turned to Keitaro. "Can you draw up a contract, Keitaro? The contract should be that you relinquish all responsibilities as manager for two months and hand them over to Ryu and me. That way, the girls don't have a legal standing to try and get us removed. As for the kendo girl..." She turned to Ryu. "I'll let you deal with her."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Keitaro asked. "She is extremely skilled with the sword."

"As am I," Ryu replied. "She may be the heiress of the Shinmei School, but she lacks experience. Her ego will be her downfall."

Keitaro looked around. "Can I use the phone? I need to call my aunt."

* * *

Hinata Tea Shop, later on.

Ring...ring...

"Hello, Hinata Tea Shop."

"Kentaro, is my aunt there?"

"One moment," the Sakata heir replied. "Haruka! Keitaro's on the phone."

Moments later, the owner, Haruka Urashima picked up the phone. "Keitaro?"

"Haruka, I'm taking some time off from being the landlord," Keitaro said, getting straight to the point. "I really need this break."

"You sound like you really need it," Haruka replied in her usual deadpan voice.

"Either I do this or when I get back, I'm evicting Motoko, Naru and Kitsune and turn the dorm back into an inn." The tone in Keitaro's voice was dead serious this time.

"This is quite unexpected, Keitaro. Now we got to look for a temporary manager."

"I found two. Remember Ryu Hoshi?"

"Ryu? Gouken's student? He's here in Hinata?"

"He has a dojo here with his wife. They've agreed to act as interim managers. I told them what to expect and they accepted."

"How long will this break be?" Haruka asked.

"Two months. It's either I take a leave of absence, or I evict those three when I come back, or I call Tsuruko and have her act as manager. Ryu's wife will come to the tea shop first. Ryu and I will follow the following day."

"So what does she look like, so I know?"

"Look for a Chinese woman with bunned hair," Keitaro instructed. "Maybe some tough love from Ryu and Chun Li will make them appreciate me more and not treat me as a human doormat. They won't push them around, I know."

"How can you be sure?"

"Both Ryu and Chun Li are well-trained martial artists. Chun Li is a former Interpol officer who knows her way around the law, and Ryu is an expert in swordfighting. He even fought Tsuruko into a standoff years earlier. I've seen him use some of his Shunjutsu ki attacks earlier. They're more destructive than Motoko's."

"So when can I expect the wife?"

"In a couple of hours," Keitaro replied. "She's packing as we speak. In the meantime, go and tell the girls that they will be expecting their new managers soon."

"Will do."


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Hinata House

In the living room of the Hinata House, Haruka Urashima is holding a meeting with the tenants of the Hinata House. Eventhough her face was in her usual deadpan expression, complete with her cigarette sticking from her mouth, Haruka couldn't help but to feel angry at the three that pushed her nephew to the breaking point.

"Keitaro has called to say that he's taking some time off as manager," Haruka announced. "He will be back here tomorrow."

"What that perverted baka should do is just quit!" Naru butted in, her anger rising. "He disappears and suddenly decides to take some time off from running this place? He is the landlord, for crying out loud!"

"I agree with Narusegawa," Motoko said coldly. "Time and time again he has proven to be unworthy and neglectful of his duties. He should just resign and we can ask Granny Hina to come back."

Fortunately for the two girls, they didn't notice Haruka's hand balled into a fist as she lit her cigarette.

The other girls were worried about Keitaro, paticulary the blue-haired Shinobu Maehara. "I hope Sempai is okay," she said. "He did look stressed out earlier today. I hope he feels better."

"Ara, ara," Mutsumi nods in agreement.

"Like anything can hurt that dork," Sara snorted.

"So who's going to come and take over while Keitaro's away?" Kitsune asked.

"Keitaro had called in a favor to some family friends," Haruka replied. "He will be arriving tomorrow."

"It's just like Urashima to call in another male," Motoko seethed. "If he is just as perverted as Urashima is, I won't hesitate to deliver justice on him."

"Like I said, he will be arriving tomorrow," Haruka insisted. "But his wife will be coming later on today. Keitaro and her husband will follow tomorrow. And for all of your sakes, I hope you show the both of them the respect and courtesy you DON'T show to my nephew."  
The last sentence had a bit of hardness to it, showing that Haruka was getting annoyed with Naru and Motoko using Keitaro has a human punching bag. Both girls caught the tone and immediately shut up.

Haruka had intentionally left out that both the new co-managers were martial artists, as well as that Keitaro was originally going to evict most of the girls and turn the place back into an inn.

As the female Urashima turned and walked out of the dorm, Naru noticed the evil smile she had on her face.

'Just what is that baka planning?' she wondered.

* * *

Later on in the day, Haruka was back in her teashop. Business has slowed down, since it was late in the afternoon. Her mind was currently on the last conversation she had with Keitaro over the phone.

In an attempt to make the tenants appreciate him more, he called in Ryu and his wife, who ran a dojo on the other side of the prefecture. In Keitaro's words, they will be wishing for him to come back as manager before the two months is out.

"Excuse me...Haruka Urashima?"

Haruka looked up. Standing before her, in casual clothes - a red-and-white Chinese-style top, denim pants and tennis shoes - was Chun Li. At her feet, was a sports bag. On her face, was a pair of reading glasses.

Haruka looked at the younger woman, giving her the once-over. "You're Ryu's wife?" she asked.

Chun Li extended her hand and Haruka shook it.. "Chun Li Xiang. Keitaro's told me a lot about you."

Haruka motioned to an empty table. Chun Li took a seat as Haruka got out a pot of tea and two cups. After pouring out cups for herself and her guest, Haruka sat down across from the Chinese martial artist.

"So you're Ryu's wife," Haruka said sizing the other woman up. "Never thought I'd hear him getting married and settling down. Last I heard, he was in Brazil training. So where exactly is my nephew?"

"At our dojo on the other side of Kanagawa," Chun Li replied. "He will come with Ryu and his student tomorrow."

"Keitaro has told you about the girls?"

Chun Li nodded. "He told me everything I needed to know about them, yes. I seen worse back in Interpol, so this shouldn't faze me too much."

Haruka asked Chun Li several more questions until it was time to go. The Japanese woman stood up. "Well...are you ready?" she asked.

Chun Li nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Haruka led Chun Li up the massive flight of stairs that lead up to the dorm. Once they were inside the building, Haruka called the girls into the common area. They thought that Haruka was bluffing when she said that a woman was coming, expecting a man.

What they **didn't** expect was a Chinese woman with a curvaceous frame that made Naru and Kitsune jealous standing before them.

"Girls, this is Chun Li Xiang, one of the two interim landlords that will be taking over for the next two months," Haruka introduced.

Suu was the first to get over her shock, jumping on the couch, shouting, "New playmate! New playmate!"

Motoko, meanwhile, was watching the Chinese woman with a martial artist's eye, sensing her ki levels. 'Hmm...she may be a martial artist...interesting. I'll have to look into this further.'

Naru blinked. "Two managers? Keitaro hired two managers?"

"Actually, I'm here in my husband's place," Chun Li replied perfectly in Japanese. "He will be here with Keitaro tomorrow."

"I'm going to leave you all to get to know Chun Li better," Haruka said, heading for the door. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

After unpacking her clothes, the girls showed Chun Li around the building. Meanwhile, Motoko was slightly troubled. Chun Li had reminded her of Tsuruko, who was the original heir to the Shinmeiryu School before she relinquished her position in order to get married, leaving Motoko to inherit the dojo when she comes of age.

"Excuse me, I need to get started on dinner," Shinobu said, leaving for the kitchen. Suu ran off to her room to work on one of her gadgets.

"She cooks?" Chun Li asked, an eyebrow raised.

"She is the resident chef here," Kitsune explained. "Before her parents divorced, they ran a restaurant together. She learned to cook from them. That's how she pays her rent here. She cooks and does laundry."

"You got any family?" Naru asked.

Chun Li stiffened slightly. "My mother died when I was still a child. I was raised by my father. He was a police officer in Hong Kong." Her expression darkened as she remember that fateful day when she received the news. "He died when I was fifteen. That was ten years ago."

"I'm sorry," Naru said, realizing that she had brought up a real sensitive subject up concerning the Chinese martial artist.

"So what do you do?" Motoko asked.

"I used to be a detective working for the I.C.P.O.," Chun Li explained. "Now I'm going into business with my husband."

"Doing what?" Kitsune asked.

"We're opening a martial arts school on the other side of Kanagawa. Two martial arts disciplines under one roof. The school's located near Red Sparrow Castle."

"I knew it!" Motoko interrupted. "I knew by your ki that you are a fighter."

"You're right, Motoko. I pratice Chinese martial arts, but I use mostly Kempo and Wushu. My husband and his student pratice an ancient form of Karate. He also pratices a form of Shinjutsu based off his karate style. From what I've seen, it looks like a combination of Battojustu and Iaido."

Chun Li remembered seeing Ryu out in the courtyard when she first came to Japan, praticing with his sword. He was full of surprises, she surmised. Aside from Ansatsuken, he was - he told her later on - that he was the master of Ansatsuken style of Shinjutsu. The sword he used was a Masamune (think Vergil's Yamato sword Devil May Cry 3), a heirloom that was centuries old and was considered indestructable.

Chun Li watched in shock as Ryu used a destructive ki attack on a pratice dummy, reducing it to sawdust. She then remembered Ryu saying that his style of Shinjutsu was the diametric opposite of Motoko's Shinmeiryu style, whereas the Shinmei focused on ki attacks, Ansatsuken Shinjutsu was mostly physical attacks. Ryu, however, had managed to find the balance for the two.

"I don't see you as the person who would get..._married_," Motoko said, pronouncing the last word with disgust. "You seem so independent. Men are vile, perverted beings who want only control and to violate a woman's chasity."

Chun Li turned to the female kendoist. "Motoko, not all men are perverted or trying to get into a girl's pants. I've dealt with some of the most sadistic men on the planet and some are women as well. But there are men who are honorable and look out for those that can't defend themselves."

As Chun Li said this, her mind raced back to the aforementioned sadistic men. A claw-toting, snake-tattooed Spainard whose face was hidden behind a mask, but more importantly, the dreaded man in red with that insane grin.

"So it's just the ones I know then?" Motoko replied, trying to make a point, but at the same time, not trying to piss Chun Li off. "From what I've seen, the only thing on a man's mind is getting power and control over a woman. If not that, they are vile and perverted beings. Once I gain control of the Shinmeiryu Dojo, I will bring back the honor of the samurai. The Shinmeiryu School will once again be respected."

"You mean feared," Chun Li said. "There is a fine line between defending innocents and attacking innocents under false pretenses. When I was in Interpol, I had to walk that line everyday, and that included crossing paths with some of the world's most evil men."

"So why'd you quit Interpol?" Naru asked.

Chun Li scoffed. "Quit? Who said I quit? I resigned. Just like any other law enforcement enity, several of its members were corrupted. People that came into the organization with me had became puppets for criminals. I became disillusioned, so I left, promising myself that I would never be a puppet of someone else." She looked at Motoko as she added, "Men and women alike can be bought if the price is right. But some people - like me - cannot be bought."

Kitsune saw that this conversation was starting to get dangerous. Eventhough Motoko was a master in the martial arts, she wondered what chances she had against someone who was more experienced in the martial arts. She had seen her and Seta fight to a standoff, and she wasn't interested in seeing Motoko get her ass kicked.

"You speak Japanese very well," Kitsune noted.

"I used to spend summers up here when I was a kid," Chun Li explained. "Japanese, English, Mandarin Chinese, and a little Korean. Same with my husband. His student can also speak English."

"So what's his name?" Naru asked.

"His name is Ryu," Chun Li replied. "He, along with your landlord, will be arriving tomorrow."

Chun Li then excused herself, leaving the girls to their own thoughts about their new female landlord. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

After dinner, in which Chun Li entertained her tenants about her life in Interpol she finished dinner and decided to take a bath.

Chun Li reclined on a large rock as she allowed the hot springs to work its magic on her. Her hair was done up in a pile above her head as her eyelglasses were nearby, resting on a folded washcloth.

She started to doze off when she heard the other girls' voices come from the changing room. Minutes later, Naru, Kitsune, Motoko, Suu and Shinobu enter the hot springs. They saw that the Chinese woman was there and joined her into the tub. She wasn't Keitaro, after all. On top of that, she wasn't a lecherous male in Motoko's eyes.

Naru noticed Chun Li's eyeglasses resting nearby. "You got bad eyesight?"

"Something like that," Chun Li replied mildly. "I can see fine, but whenever I try and read something, the words are blurred."

"Me too," Naru said as she sighed, allowing the waters to engulf her body.

"My Papa is also a martial artist," Sara said with pride in her voice. "He also teaches archaelogy at Tokyo University."

"Your father?" Chun Li's brow wrinkled. "Your father is Professor Seta? I know him. Aside from martial arts, I sometimes teach a class on criminalogy there."

Naru blinked. "YOU work at Tokyo U? I'm trying to go there...once I pass the entrance exam, that is."

"As I've said, it's part time. I teach a class there three times a month." She allows herself a small grin. "Guess it pays to be ex-Interpol. Ryu, however is content with the school."

"How did you two meet?" Shinobu asked.

"At a martial arts tournament, five years ago. I was with Interpol at the time and I was going after the tournament's host, a man by the name of Bison." Chun Li paused for a moment. "He killed my father."

The gathered silence showed that she had their complete attention, so Chun Li continued with her story.

"In order to fight him, I had to go through the best fighters in the world...until there was one more left. I thought that he would fall like all the others. But I was wrong. Even going through a seven-foot kickboxer, he still defeated me and later on, went on to defeat Bison." A sardonic grin crept across her face. "I should have been happy. Instead, I was mad at him for defeating Bison. Then a year later, he and his friend were in Hong Kong..."

* * *

_Chun Li had sent him a challenge through Ken, telling her rival to meet her in front of the abandoned mountian temple overlooking the city. When she arrived at the designated location, he was already there. And he was alone, still in his usual fighting attire, looking over the city of Hong Kong. _

_"I like the view here," Ryu said as he turned around, facing his opponent. "Very serene and peaceful." He tucked his thumbs into his belt. "But you didn't come here to admire the scenery. You came for a fight, right?"_

_"Enough talk," Chun Li spat out. "Get ready!"_

* * *

"I fought him again," Chun Li continued. "And like before, I let my anger get the best of me."

* * *

_"Shinkuu...HADOUKEN!"  
_

_**WHAM!**_

_The impact of the massive ball of ki energy slammed into Chun Li sending her flying into the side of a tree, knocking the wind out of her._

"Why are you holding back?" Ryu asked.

Chun Li glared at him. "I'm NOT holding back! I'll get you yet!"

Ryu shook his head. "You're hurt, Inspector Xiang. This match is over." After looking into her eyes, he asked her, "What have I done to you? Why are you so mad at me?"

Holding her side, Chun Li managed to get to her knees. "You...you took my chance of getting revenge for my father!"

Ryu frowned. "How did I do that?"

"Bison...HE KILLED MY FATHER!"

"Oh...I'm sorry for you loss," Ryu said with geniune sympathy. "You may be good, but you weren't ready to fight him."

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?! I COULD HAVE BEATEN HIM!"

"How can you beat him when I alone am too much for you?" Ryu retorted. "He would have killed you and your father's death would have gone unavenged."

"SHUT UP!" Chun Li screamed as she lunged at Ryu, fist raised. Ryu calmly sidesteped the blow. He then parried several of her blows before tossing her to the ground.

Chun Li looked at him with nothing but hatred in her eyes. "I HATE YOU!"

Ryu looked at the woman and shook her head. "I pity you, Inspector Xiang. Hatred and pride can take you so far until it consumes you. Believe me, I know first hand at what it can do because it almost destroyed me."

Chun Li's next comment died on her tongue as she noted the sadness in his voice.

"As I've said, you're not ready because you let your rage control you," Ryu continued. "Let go of your hate, Inspector. Let go of your hate, your anger and your rage. Once those are gone, then you will be unstoppable."

He walked past her. He then stopped and added, "Once you mastered yourself, come to Japan and find me at the Ansatsuken dojo outside of Tokyo. I will grant you your rematch."

He then left, leaving Chun Li to weep bitterly.

* * *

"As much as I hate to admit it," Chun Li continued, "he was right. He was right about everything. So, I devoted myself to my training, and followed his advice. Then, about eight months later, I came here, to Japan to find him. He was where he said he was going to be at, the old Ansatsuken School."

* * *

_Ansatsuken Dojo, Japan. Chun Li stood in front of her opponent. She was wearing her one-piece tracksuit, while her opponent was dressed in a grey-blue karate gi and his red headband. Watching from the sidelines, were the two grandmasters of Ansatsuken, Gouken and Gouki, Ryu's friend, Ken Masters and Ryu's student, Sakura Kasugano._

Chun Li had arrived during the birthday of Master Gouken. She had to wait until the following day in order to get her match.

The two fighters squared off, giving the other no quarter. Chun Li noticed that Ryu's skills had increasingly improved, while Ryu noticed that Chun Li had taken his advice to heart, giving him a run for his money.

However, the outcome was something that neither person had expected.

A draw.

Chun Li had ended up dislocating Ryu's shoulder, injuring her ankle in the process. Seeing that no one was good enough to continue, both Gouken and Gouki ended the match.

* * *

"Turned out I cracked my ankle," Chun Li explained. "To tell you the truth, I really didn't care. I was so exhausted, I passed out. When I woke up the next day, Ryu was there."

* * *

_Groaning to herself, Chun Li opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Ryu, seated in a chair, looking out the window. He then turned his attention back to her. "You're finally awake. You slept like the dead," he said with a lopsided grin._

Chun Li noticed that Ryu was in casual clothes: a black T-shirt and denim pants. His arm was in a sling. Chun Li realised that she was still dressed in her tracksuit, but saw that her bruises and ankle were properly dressed and tended to.

"How long was I out?" she asked, sitting up. She then noticed that her hair was undone.

"A day." He smiles at her again, a complete contrast to the fighting machine that has bested her twice in combat. "I really should thank you, Inspector. It's been a while since someone's made me fight with my all."

"Chun Li," she replied. "My name is Chun Li."

"Chun Li..." Ryu repeated. "'Beautiful Spring.' Nice name." Off her surprised look, Ryu continued. "Yes, I speak Chinese. I also speak English, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese." He motioned to her bandaged ankle. "You cracked your ankle in our last match. You need some time to heal." He stood up. "Consider youself a guest of the Ansatsuken Dojo. If you need anything, feel free to ask." He pointed to a pair of crutches nearby. "Those are for you, should you need to get around the place."

* * *

Chun Li reclined against the rock. "To tell you the truth, I really didn't know why I decided to stay after my ankle healed," she said, smiling. "There was something...different about him, aside the fact that he was Japanese. Falling for him was the last thing I had planned, but I did."

Everyone was now interested in the story that Chun Li was telling her.

"We got married in a private ceremony in America," Chun Li explained. "Afterwards, I settled my affairs in Hong Kong and moved here. I suggested to him that we should open a school for martial arts here and he agreed."

Motoko couldn't hear any more and quickly departed from the hotsprings.

"Sorry about Motoko," Kitsune apologized. "Her sister had relinquished her position as shihan and left the school to her."

Chun Li feigned surprise. "I didn't know that," she said. Having worked numerous undercover cases had allowed her to lie with a straight face. "It must be hard for her."

'I should get an award for this,' Chun Li thought. ' I could give Fei a run for his money with acting.'

"So how long are you going to be the manager?" Naru asked.

"Two months," Chun Li replied, "but my husband is also coming and we will split the responsibilities of running the dorm. He is also good at construction repair. He's taught me some of it, but he enjoys working with his hands."

'Just what we need,' Naru thought darkly. 'Another man inside the dorm.'

"As I've said," Chun Li replied, "he will be here along with Keitaro tomorrow." She stood up and stepped out of the hot springs, Kitsune eyeing Chun Li's curves with a slightly envoius glare. Chun Li took her bathrobe and slipped it over her shoulders. Wrapping a towel around her head, she bid her tenants farewell and left the hotspring.

As soon as she left, Kitsune pounted. "No fair. Her chest is bigger than mine."

Naru sighed. "I don't know, Kitsune. There's something about her that makes me...uneasy."

In the coming days, Naru would find out that she was right. 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Morning came over the sleepy resort town of Hinata City.

As always, Motoko Aoyama rose before everyone else. Stifling a yawn, she rose from her futon, and tiptoed over to her dresser. Pulling out a fresh hakama, her sword and a towel, she quietly exited the room, not waking up Suu, who continued to sleep.

After a quick bath in the hot springs (in which she took notice of the rocks becoming slimy, promising herself to thrash Keitaro once he returned), she got dressed, and headed for the roof. If was early in the morning in which she could train without distraction, and it was a while since she had went into her thousand-strike routine.

However, as she climbed the steps to the rooftop, she saw that someone was already there.

That person was Chun Li.

Dressed in a one-piece tracksuit (minus the vest), and a pair of tennis shoes, her hair done up in her usual braided and bunned style and secured with yellow ribbons, the Chinese martial artist was standing in the middle of the rooftop, going through a kata. Motoko stood transfixed, mesmerized by the gracefulness of the Chinese woman. Her moves were fliud and smooth, not rushing as Chun Li went through her Wushu routine, looking like a Chinese ballerina.

Finally, after completing her kata, her back to Motoko, Chun Li spoke.

"You're drooling, Motoko," she said before turning around.

Motoko stepped onto the roof. "That...was amazing. How long have you been training in martial arts?"

"Since I was four. I received my first black belt in Wushu when I was fifteen, and when I was eighteen, I got my black belt in Kenpo." She shrugged her shoulders. "My husband was the one who got me to get up early every morning to train with him," she said, smiling sheepishly. "As you can see, I am not a morning person. But I guess it kind of rubbed off on me."

"Can I ask you something?" Motoko asked.

"Sure."

"Why did you get...married?" the Shinmeiryu heiress asked, still pronoucing the m-word with some difficulty.

"You have something against married women?" Chun Li asked, arms folded.

"No, no!" Motoko replied shaking her head. "You just...you just remind me of my older sister. She relinquished her position as the Shinmeiryu shihan to get married." She turned her head to the side. "Men are nothing but perverted beings."

Chun Li sighed. "Motoko, listen to me. I told you - all of you - last night that all men are not perverts," she said, placing one hand on her shoulder. "You're still young. When you grow older, you'll see what I mean. In the meantime, today is a busy day for all of us. Your landlord will be arriving with my husband, and I need to run to the market once it opens."

"When will Urashima and the other male arrive?" Motoko asked.

"In the afternoon." Chun Li looked at Motoko intently. "Don't be so quick to judge, Motoko. Try to get to know them first before you pass judgment on them. You show other people that you can't trust them if you pass judgment on them too quickly."

Chun Li left the rooftop. As the Chinese martial artist took her bath, the other Hinata House residents awoke to another day. Kitsune was lounging around on the couch, Naru went off to prep school and Shinobu, Suu and Sara hung around the house.

The day, so far was uneventful. But that was about to change within the next few hours, with the arrival of Ryu Hoshi.

* * *

It was past noon when Keitaro and the two martial artists arrived in Hinata City. Keitaro led Ryu and Sakura to Haruka's teashop. Business had slowed down somwehat, giving Haruka and Kentaro a break, but there were still scattered patrons inside the cafe. Mutsumi was out running an errand for Haruka.

Keitaro was dressed in his usual clothes, while Sakura was was dressed in a V-necked shirt and her fuku skirt. Ryu, however, was dressed in something more pratical: his white karate gi, with red headband, and a pair of leather sandals on his feet, having been in a match earlier with a local fighter. Ryu was carrying his usual white duffel bag in one hand, slung over his shoulder and a slender bundle in the other hand, wrapped in cloth. Sakura had an overnight bag and her knapsack with her books inside.

Keitaro saw his aunt behind the counter, wiping it down with a bored expression on her face.

"Hey!" Keitaro called out. "Aunt Haruka!"

In an instant, Haruka tossed the nearest object she could get her hands on, which was an empty sake bottle, at Keitaro without looking. Ryu, acting just as fast, caught the object before it connected to Keitaro's face.

"It's Haruka, Keitaro," Haruka scolded. "We've been through this before." She looked up and saw Ryu holding the bottle in his hand. She sized Ryu up. "I thought you were in Brazil training."

Ryu placed the bottle onto an empty table. "I was, but that was a couple of years ago. You're looking well, Haruka. I still see you're still up to your bad habits," he added, regarding the cigarette that she was currently smoking. He gestured to Sakura. "This is my apprentice in the martial arts, Sakura Kasugano. Sakura, Keitaro's aunt, and owner of this cafe, Haruka Urashima."

Haruka looked at Sakura, nodding in greeting. "Since when did you decided to take on students?"

"I've been training her for four years now," Ryu replied. "She is already a shodan in both Ansatsuken and in Shinjutsu. Aside from being my pupil, she is also a freshman at Tokyo University."

Haruka looked at Sakura. "So you're Toudai, huh? Maybe you can give my nephew some pointers on how to pass the entrance exams." She looked at Ryu. "So...are you ready for this?"

Ryu nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be. I'll be fine." He grinned evilly at Haruka. "I can always evict them if they get too difficult."

* * *

"I forgot about these stairs," Ryu said as he, Keitaro and Sakura walked up the stairway that lead to Hinata House.

"Are we there yet?" Sakura whined.

"Almost, so quit whining," Ryu replied.

The trio reached the summit. Sakura looked around the property, then at the massive structure that was Hinata House. "Wow. Nice place," she said.

"It used to be an inn," Keitaro explained. "My grandmother used to run it until she decided to travel and leave it to me."

"This place...it hasn't changed," Ryu said, looking at it.

As they approached the front door, they heard voices from inside.

"I agree with you, Kitsune. Urashima has been completely careless this time. Eventhough I like the new manager, Urashima should still show some responsiblity for his actions."

The door opened and out stepped Kitsune and Motoko. They saw their wayward manager, along with two strangers. Motoko, however, immediately recognized Ryu.

It was several months back, when Motoko had been on a training trip with her Kendo club in the mountains. Inside the training hall, was a man wearing a white karate gi, the sleeves tattered, as if they had been ripped off. Around his forehead was a crimson headband. He was kneeling, with his sheathed sword in his lap.

Motoko, being the Kendo club captain, attempted to eject the man from the hall. However, he had merely blocked her attack and knocked her out.

Since then, Motoko has been obsessing over the fact that a man not only had beaten her, but had knocked her out without even trying.

Now here he was once again.

And the look that she was giving Ryu was nothing short of bloody murder. Motoko went for her sword. "YOU!" She drew it and charged.

Sakura grabbed Keitaro and pulled him out of the way as Ryu calmly dropped his belongings and advanced on the charging swordswoman. As Motoko attacked, Ryu grabbed her wrist and flipped her to the ground, Motoko landing on her rear.

Inside, Chun Li had heard Motoko scream and had rushed outside, just in time to see Ryu counterattack Motoko. Kitsune, Shinobu, Suu and Sara approached from various sides, watching the battle take place.

In pain from landing on the stone walkway, Motoko jumped to her feet. Ryu was standing there, arms folded. "You again, Kendo girl?" he asked dryly, remembering their last encounter.

Motoko clambered to her feet. "It's bad enough that we have to deal with a perverted weakling like Urashima...but YOU...have you any idea what you did to me?!" she half-screamed.

Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "You attacked me, so I knocked you out. So?"

"'So?' 'SO?!' I have became the laughing stock of the Kendo club!" Motoko ranted. "You sullied my honor! And now...you dare to show your face at our home! I will banish you from here if necessary!" Motoko charged again, sword held high.

"Motoko, stop!" Chun Li shouted.

Ryu stood his ground.

Motoko leapt into the air, preparing to unleash a Shinmeiryu ki attack on the male.

"Hadouken!"

Ryu drew his hands back, summoning his own ki, then fired. A bright blue bolt of energy sailed at Motoko with devestating speed at the teenage kendoist. The ki blast caught Motoko in the chest, sending her flying back and her sword spinning into the air. Motoko landed on her back while Ryu casually caught her sword from the air and strolled over to her. Keitaro, in the meantime, had picked up his duffel bag and sword.

"Silly little Kendo girl who likes to think she is a samurai," Ryu said before turning the blade downward and impaling the stone pathway, inches from Motoko's left ear. "Honor is not in one's weapon. Honor comes from the person themselves."

He looked up. Chun Li, as well as the rest of the residents who were drawn to the scene by Motoko screaming were watching the one-sided impromptu match. All of the girls were shocked at the sight of Motoko on her back. Motoko glared back at Ryu, who looked down at her as if she wasn't worth the effort.

Then Chun Li was standing over Motoko. "Well, Motoko, I see you met my husband."

Motoko blinked. "Husband?"

She then turned to Ryu. "You finally showed up." She then rushed him and embraced him. After a moment, she released him and turned to the shocked residents, who were at the moment, tending to Motoko. "Girls, this is my husband, Ryu Hoshi. We're both acting as co-managers at Keitaro's request." She gestured to the girl who was standing beside Keitaro. "This is his student, Sakura Kasugano."

Motoko abruptly stood up and forcibly shrugged off the girls' attempts to help her. "I will not accept this!" she shouted before yanking her sword from the pathway and storming back into the house.

After Motoko slammed the door behind her, Kitsune spoke up. "Wait a sec...Keitaro hired you as well?"

"I did," Keitaro replied, a smug grin on his face. "I'm taking a break. Ryu and Chun Li are the managers for the next two months. Let's see you give them the respect that you, Narusegawa and Motoko don't show me."

Kitsune was taken aback at the sudden change in Keitaro's attitude. Normally, he would be forgiving, but now, Kitsune realized that maybe she, Naru and Motoko had crossed the line.

* * *

Inside the landlord's room, Ryu unpacked his clothes as Chun Li watched him. "So what was that all about?" Chun Li asked.

"Remember when I went on a training trip in the mountains a while back?" Ryu asked. When Chun Li nodded, Ryu continued. "I ran into the Kendo girl when I was up there. She tried to attacked me, so I knocked her out." He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought she had forgotten. Looks like I was wrong."

Flashback

_Somewhere in the mountains, several months earlier. Inside a mountain dojo, Ryu was meditating in the lotus position, dressed in his usual karate uniform. _

_From the doorway, the gathered girls of the Girls' Kendo Club looked at the Ansatsuken fighter, whispering and giggling amongst themselves._

_"Who is he?"_

_"He's cute."_

_"He must be a martial artist. Look at that sword he has with him."_

_"He must be a master kendoist."_

_"What's going on here?" Motoko demanded as she walked up to her teammates. "Why aren't you inside the training hall?" she demanded. "This is supposed to be a training trip, not a vacation."_

_"Sempai, there is a man inside the training hall," one of the kendoists replied._

_Motoko's eyes narroed. "A male. Here?" She marched inside the training hall and stood before Ryu, who was still meditating. "You. Male! You are welcome here. Leave!"_

_Ryu ignored her. _

_Motoko drew out her bokken. "You dare ignore me? Either you leave willingly or I will force you out of here."_

_At that moment, Ryu opened his eyes. "You can try," he replied._

_Motoko raised her bokken and brought it down, aiming for Ryu's head. Ryu, still on his knees, quickly responded by grabbing his sword, still in its sheath and parried the blow. He then lashed out, catching Motoko full in the torso with the scabbard, knocking the air out of her lungs, causing her to double over. He then swung his sword upward, the sound of hardwood meeting a human jaw was loud in the empty training hall as the kendo club watched in disbelief as Motoko's head snapped back as the blow sent her into the air. _

_She landed flat on her back, out like a light. The Kendo club was so silent that one could hear a needle drop. Ryu slowly got to his feet and looked at the downed Shinmeiryu kendoist. He bowed slightly, turned and exited the training hall without further incident as the Kendo club rushed around the fallen Motoko, trying to get her back to consciousness._

End Flashback

Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "How was I supposed to know that her kendo club used that training hall as a dojo?"

He picked up the slender bundle and undid the string holding the cloth altogether. The cloth fell to the floor, revealing Ryu's weapon: a Masamune sword; beautiful, yet deadly. The sword was given to him once he made shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu. Ryu pulled the sword out of its scabbard. The blade itself was forged from a special type of metal that was only found in the Hokkaido region of Japan hundreds of years ago, giving it a light cobalt blue color.

The sword was a priceless heirloom within the Ansatsuken school, the blade itself considered to be indestructable. The sword was perfect in every way. On the scabbard, was the slogan Fuurinkazan carved into it in Japanese kanji. The term translated as 'swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as fire and immovable as a mountain.' According to Gouken, the slogan was based on Sun Tzu's Art of War, which dictates how one should conduct battle.

It was also how the praticioners of Ansatsuken and its kendo counterpart carried themselves in battle.

Ryu was trained in the art of swordsmanship by both Gouken and Gouki since he was six, now a master himself, with Gouken, who favoring the non-lethal verison of Shinjutsu, while Gouki used the style to its purest. Ryu, however, went down the middle path, using both variations of his masters' styles and created his own style.

Ryu regarded his sword as he placed it onto the desk. Or at least started to when he hesitated.

Chun Li noticed this. "What is it?" she asked.

Ryu ignored her and turned to the closet. Walking past her, he opened the closet and found what he had sensed through his sword. Chun Li looked in from behind. "What's this? A sword?" she reached out to it, but Ryu grabbed her wrist in a gently, yet firm grip.

"That's no ordinary sword," Ryu warned. "It's the Hina Blade. That sword is posessed." He released Chun Li's grip on her hand. "Come here."

Chun Li followed him back to his sword. Upon returning back to his side, Ryu handed her his sword. In an instant, Chun Li felt the blade's power, as if it was vibrating.

Ryu answered her unspoken question. "My sword and the Hina Blade are opposites. From what Gouki has told me, my sword was forged inside a Shinto temple using an ancient technique that is now lost. So in a sense, it can sense anything with either cursed ki or something that is posessed."

"Doesn't Ansatsuken Shinjutsu uses cursed ki?" Chun Li asked.

Ryu shook his head. "No. My styles uses positive and negative ki energy. Gouken was proficient in the light side of Ansatsuken, while Gouki preferred the dark side. I trained under both masters, as you already know. I've managed to come to a middle ground with their techniques, something that both men had failed to do. You can say that I can take the Ansatsuken styles down a different path."

He picked up a towel and some extra clothes. "I'll be in the bath." 

Chun Li poked him in the ribs. "I'll cook tonight. Good thing I went shopping earlier."

* * *

Meanwhile, a furious Motoko was in her room. Kitsune was trying to calm her down.

"I remember seeing him in Nagoya," the resident fox said. "Back when Keitaro and Naru failed the Toudai exams."

"Damn you, Urashima!" Motoko snarled. "Now he is here again! Why?"

"Because no one else wanted the job," Keitaro said from the doorway. The kendoist and the fox turned to face the vacationing manager, who had a cool look on his face.

"It was either have them back me up as temporary managers," Keitaro said as he wiped his glasses on his shirt before placing them back on his face, "or I place a little phone call to your sister and have her take over while I'm gone."

Motoko paled. She wasn't scared of anything, but mention her elder sister and she immediately gets the shakes.

"I thought that maybe you three would have some managers who wouldn't hesitate to throw you out on the streets," Keitaro continued. "And Ryu's sensei and my grandmother are longtime friends, so he took the job." He looked at Motoko. "Looks like you met your match, Motoko. Good luck in trying to push him around," he said, remembering seeing Ryu destroy two pratice dummies; one with his bare hands while the other with a Shinjutsu ki technique.

"He reminds me of Seta," Kitsune said. "What fighting style he uses?"

"Ansatsuken," Keitaro replied matter-of-factly, "and Ansatsuken Shinjutsu."

Almost immediately, Motoko looked up. "Ansatsuken? A likely story, Urashima," she said. "That style is just a rumor."

"We'll see won't we?" Keitaro said as he left the room.

* * *

Naru, in the meantime, has returned to Hinata House. Upon entering the common room, she spied a short-haired girl around her age sitting on a couch, several books placed on the table. "Excuse me?"

Sakura looked up. "Oh. Hello. You're a resident here?"

Naru nodded. "I am. Who are you?"

"Sakura Kasugano," Sakura introduced herself. She looked at Naru. "Wait a sec...you were at the Toudai entrance exams a while back, weren't you? Your name was...Narusegawa, right?"

"It's Naru. What are you doing here? You come to rent a room?"

Sakura shook her head. "My sensei and his wife are acting as interim landlords for the month, and he asked me to tag along so he can continue training me."

"Landlords?" Naru repeated. "So where's that no-good baka at?"

"You mean Keitaro?" Sakura replied. "He's talking with Chun Li in the dining room."

Originally, Naru considered going in and confront Keitaro, but chose against it. It was then she looked down and noticed the textbooks that were scattered along the table. "Wait a minute...those are Tokyo U. books! You're a student?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes I am. I'm a physical education major. What about you? You're a Todai student too?"

Naru shook her head. "No. I'm a ronin. I missed it by ten points."

"Tough break," Sakura said before sitting back down. "I need to get back to work. Nice meeting you."

"Same here."

Naru left Sakura alone as she headed for her room. After picking up some articles of clothings and a bath towel, she went back downstairs and headed for the changing room.

Upon arriving at the doors, she saw the sign that was posted on the door. The sign was in both English and Japanese and read **BATH OCCUPIED - PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB**. Unforunately for her, she chose to ignore it. After undressing and wrapping a towel around her body, she stepped into the hotsprings.

What she saw was a naked man in the hotsptings. His back was to her as he grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around his waist.

"KYAHHH! PERVERT!"

Ryu spun around, just in time to see Naru lunge at him, the smaller woman delivering her infamous Naru-punch. Imagine Naru's surprise when Ryu stopped the attack by catching it with his hand.

Naru, at that moment, realized several things. One: this guy wasn't Keitaro. Two: he had stopped her punch. Three: he didn't look very happy.

"Pervert?" Ryu repeated. "Since when did I do anything perverted?"

"You came in here to peek on me, pervert!" Naru screeched.

Ryu scoffed. "If anything, **you** came in here after I had put up the sign outside. If anything, you are the pervert here."

By this time, Keitaro, Chun Li, Kitsune, Motoko, Shinobu and Suu had showed up and were watching this exchange.

"So you must be Naru Narusegawa. Keitaro has told me a lot about you. For all we know," Ryu continued, knowing that sooner or later, Naru would make a huge mistake that he could take advantage on. "You'd probably like looking in on me."

"SCREW YOU!" Naru screamed as she swung her other fist at Ryu.

Ryu smirked to himself as he casually sidestepped the blow and stuck his leg out, tripping Naru and sending her into the hotspring with a loud **SPLASH**.

He turned to Chun Li and the others. "All too easy," he said as he exited the hotsprings through the changing room.

Kitsune, however, caught the smile that was Keitaro's face as Chun Li walked over to the edge of the hotsprings and crouched over, just as Naru came back to the surface.

"Why did you try and punch out my husband?" Chun Li asked in a annoyed tone.

"He was in the hotsprings," Naru feebly replied, flinching under Chun Li's glare.

"And there was a sign placed outside the changing room," Chun Li said, berating the drenched redhead. "Next time, you'd better heed the sign's warning should you want to take a bath. If the sign is there, then use the bath on the third floor, understand?"

Naru nodded, backing away slightly.

"And you will apologize to Ryu when it is time for dinner. You need to grow up, Naru." The way Chun Li said it was more than an order, rather than a request. With that said, Chun Li turned and left the hotspring.

* * *

"Who the hell was that guy?" Naru asked after she had gotten dressed. Both Kitsune and Motoko were in her room.

"The male is Chun Li's husband," Motoko replied, still upset over the fact that Ryu was staying with them for the next two months.

"What does Keitaro think he'd doing?" Naru half-shouted. "This is still a girls' dormitory! What if he tries to take advantage of Shinobu or Suu?"

Kitsune shook her head. "He doesn't look like the type. I've seen him before."

Naru turned to her friend. "You have?"

Kitsune nodded. "It was back in Kyoto, after you and Keitaro failed the entrance exams. About the same time that Motoko had found Suu and Shinobu, I was watching him compete in a match. He was fighting this **huge** bald-headed kickboxer with an eyepatch over one eye and this big scar on his chest." She turned to Motoko. "How did you know him?"

Motoko's grip tightened on her sword. "I was on a training trip with my kendo club several months ago. He was there inside the dojo. I tried to eject him from the training hall, but he knocked me out cold. And today...when he showed up here with Urashima and his student, I tried to throw him out...and he knocked me down."

"You DID attack him, Motoko," Kitsune pointed out. "All he did was defend himself. And after what I saw back in Kyoto, he is very tough. I'd watch yourself if I were you, Motoko."


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Shinobu announced that dinner was ready. Imagine everyone's surprize that it was Chun Li who cooked, rather than Hinata House's resident chef. Suu's eyes were shining in delight at the Chinese dishes that were on the table. Once the girls and Chun Li were seated, Ryu made his appearance, dressed in fresh clothes, followed by Sakura and Keitaro. Ryu sat beside his wife, while Keitaro took a seat by Shinobu and Sakura sat by Suu.

Both Motoko and Naru were glaring at Keitaro, who paid them no attention as he ate his food. The tension between the two girls and their vacationing manger was very intense, and after seeing Ryu manhandle both Motoko and Naru without blinking forced the girls to hold their tongue, but the obvious violent thoughts that were going through their head about what to do with their manager were running rampant.

Their thoughts were interrupted when Chun Li cleared her throat, her gaze directed at Naru. "Don't you have something to say to my husband?" she asked.

Naru glared back at Chun Li, then broke eye contact as she turned to Ryu. "I apologize for my actions in the hotsprings," she said, although the way she said it made someone thing she had drunk acid.

"Let's hope for your sake that it doesn't happen again," Ryu replied cooly.

Shinobu saw the anger in the girls' faces and decided to make some conversation in an attempt to defuse the situation. She turned to Ryu, who was just finishing his thurd helping of food, his appetite rivaling that of Suu's. "How do you know Sempai?" she asked.

Ryu turned to the young girl. "I've known Keitaro ever since this place used to be an inn, young Maehara. In fact, I stayed here one time with my friend and my master while on a training trip."

"So what did you do before you married Chun Li?" Kitsune asked.

Ryu chose his words carefully. "I was pretty much a nomad, travelling the world, seeking out some of the world's strongest fighters. At first, I was only fighting for no reason but to become the strongest. Now, I fight for another purpose."

"And what purpose is that?" Motoko asked with contempt in her voice. She was seated next to him.

Ryu looked at Motoko. "Enlightment. Like I said, I was fighting so I cam become the strongest fighter i the world. After I came back to Japan from training in Brazil, I've decided that becoming the strongest fighter wasn't enough. So I decided to seek enlightment by mastering myself. Sometimes, your greatest enemy can be the person that stares back at you in the mirror."

Motoko scoffed. "Sounds pathetic if you ask me."

"No," Ryu rebuked, "pathetic is a wannabe kendoist who has a male-complex."

"How dare you!" Motoko shouted. This was the second time Ryu has insulted her.

Ryu continued to turn the knife. "I've fought fighters your age who were trained assassins. You are not a threat." He finished his food and stood up. "Excuse me."

As he turned to leave, Motoko jumped from her seat. "You dare insult me, you vile male?" She pulled out her sword. "I don't care if Urashima did hire you. You don't belong here!"

With a yell, Motoko charged at Ryu, sword held high. As she brought it down onto him, Ryu quickly reacted. Sidestepping to avoid the blow, his hands shot out, grabbing her wrist and before Motoko knew it, she felt the cold blade of her own sword against her jugular.

Ryu had diarmed her and was now holding her own sword against her throat.

With the exception of Chun Li, Sakura and Keitaro, everyone was shocked. One moment, Motoko had her sword in her hand, the next, Ryu had disrmed her and was holding it against her neck.

Motoko gasped. 'How...how did he do that?!' she thought. 'He's as fast as Oneesan!' One wrong move and her jugular would have been severed.

For the first time in her life, an emotion came over Motoko.

Complete fear. Not even Tsuruko was this bad.

Ryu was to the point. "Unless you challenge me to a fight," he drawled, "don't ever draw your sword at me. Were this a life-or-death battle with someone other than me, you wouldn't last five minutes. I'm only going to say this once, Aoyama. If you EVER pull your sword on me and you didn't challenge me beforehand, your insides will be on the outside. Are we clear?"

Motoko slowly nodded.

"Good," Ryu said, seeing that his point was made. He then lowered her sword and in one smooth movement, tossed it at her, where it slid neatly inside her scabbard. He turned around and left.

Keitaro resumed eating his dinner as if the entire event didn't happen. Sakura looked at Motoko. "That was a bad move, Motoko. You really shouldn't have done that."

Motoko wasn't listening. Her knees buckled as she slumped forward. 'That...that male has caught me off guard once again! What is he...he must be some kind of demon!'

Chun Li said nothing. After all, she knew first-hand what her husband was capable of. Naru was looking at a grinning Keitaro. He was pleased as to what he had seen so far. The grin soon vanished as he continued eating.

* * *

After dinner, the girls decided to take a bath while Ryu and Chun Li cleaned up the dishes. In the hotspring, Sakura was lounging on a rock, chatting with the Hinata House residents. Eventhough Naru disliked Ryu for embarassing her and Chun Li for forcing her to apologize, she had nothing against Sakura. After all, she was Toudai.

Sakura knew that she was an outsider in this close-knit group. The last thing she wanted was to become an outcast.

The conversation was civil enough, Sakura telling them about training under Ryu, her rivalries and finally, being accepted into Tokyo University after passing the entrance exams.

Motoko then spoke up. "He attacked me with a ki technique. How is that possible?"

"Ryu is the Ansatsuken shihan," Sakura explained. "He been praticing martial arts ever since he was four. The ki attacks are nothing. He can break stone with his bare hands and feet, his kicks have the destructive force of a hurricane. I even saw him, his friend and Chun Li take apart a SUV with their bare hands."

Before Naru could ask a question, there were the unmistakable sound of a battle, which were coming from the rooftop. "What the hell is that?" the redheaded ronin asked as everyone looked around in alarm.

Sakura, however, simply leaned back against her rock. "They're at it again."

Kitsune turned to Sakura. "This is normal for them?"

The Ansatsuken apprentice nodded. "That's one of the reasons why their bond is so strong. They both love to fight."

The Hinata House residents watched as the duel took place on the roof. It was a sword battle. Chun Li was armed with a Chinese straight sword, while Ryu was armed with his own sword. The girls quickly donned bathrobes and towels and watched the battle take place.

Chun Li was an expert in Chinese swordplay and it showed as she deftly parried her husband's feints and thrusts. Ryu was indeed the shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu. Motoko was watching the fight with interest. She knew that Chun Li was a master of the arts, but she was also watching Ryu.

'I have seen this male before,' she thought. 'But I can't remember...' Motoko watched as Chun Li spun and when she came back facing Ryu, Motoko saw that Chun Li was holding TWO swords in her hands, forcing Ryu to step up his game. He suceeded in hacking one of the blades in two.

The dueling couple were now on the wire overhang, Motoko and the other girls were mesmerized at their amazing center of balance as they fought over the hotsprings.

Chun Li lunged in, unleashing a series of sword strikes, of which Ryu defended and parried against. The audience were even more amzed when Ryu performed a split, then flipped down to the hotsprings, with Chun Li somersaulting after them, the Hinata girls giving them a wide berth as they continued to fight.

Motoko, in the meantime, was watching Ryu fight. 'Urashima said that he was a master of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu. He is especially skilled with the blade. He remindes me of Oneesan."

The battle was growing in intensity as sparks began to kick off form the weapons. The girls were treated to a real show, a real display of sportsmanship and skill.

The match ended in a standoff, with their blades at each others' throat. Chun Li smirked. "You didn't touch me this time, Ryu."

Ryu returned the smirk. "Are you sure about that?"

It was at that moment that Chun Li realized that Ryu had slashed the ribbons that were securing her hair. It had became unwound from the sides of her head, reducing her hair back into a pair of braids.

Motoko was impressed, eventhough Ryu was still a man.

The couple bowed to each other, then sheathed their swords. The girls then made a path for Ryu and Chun Li as they leave the hotsptings.

* * *

Minutes later, Ryu and Chun Li were taking their bath in the private bath on the third floor. With her hair tied up in a pile around her head, the Chinese martial artist rested against her husband's chest, sighing contently as his arms were wrapped around her torso.

"You did call Haruka, right?" Chun Li asked.

Ryu kissed Chun Li on her shoulder. "I did. She'll be expecting Kitsune tomorrow morning. You know the annex behind the main house?"

"What about it?"

"I talked with Keitaro on the way here," Ryu said. "He wanted to see if he can get the curse lifted he he can turn it into a boys' dorm. Akuma and Gouken know more about exorcising curses more than I do, so when they come up in a couple of weeks, I'll talk to them about seeing if they can do something about the annex."

"You know the others won't like this," Chun Li pointed out. "They sure as hell didn't like it when you showed up."

"I know," Ryu replied. "I also noticed that Narusegawa didn't like the fact that you forced her to apologize." He didn't see the smile that was forming on his wife's face.

"Just wait," she replied. "They haven't seen nothing yet."

* * *

The following morning, the Hinata House residents were told to meet in the common room following breakfast by Ryu and Chun Li for a meeting. After breakfast and helping Shinobu with the dishes, the girls found that their interim managers were waiting for them. Both were standing and Ryu was holding a book in his hand.

"I'm glad all of you have showed up for this meeting," Chun Li said after the girls settle.

"What is this about?" Motoko asked.

"In order to keep Hinata House up and running," Chun Li began, "everyone has to do their part."

"Meaning what?" Naru asked.

"As of this moment, everyone has a set of chores to do," Ryu announced.

The result was as expected. Almost immediately, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune voiced their disapproval, saying that it was the landlord's duties to clean the dorm.

Ryu silenced them all by slamming the book onto the table. The title read **HINATA HOUSE LEDGER**.

"This is the dorm's ledger," Ryu explained. "Because of all of you, this place has significant damage to it, thanks to Narusegawa, Aoyama and even young Suu. Chun Li and I will work on the repairs, while the rest of you will keep this place clean." He turned to Kitsune. "As for you, Konno, it says that you owe for back rent - six months worth. It also notes that you squandered Keitaro's life savings on a trip to Nagoya."

"Naru, your responsibilty will be the first floor," Chun Li said. "Everything must be cleaned. Motoko, you have the second floor. And the third floor will be done by the both of you." She then tossed Kitsune an apron. "As for you, Kitsune, you will be working at the tea house with Haruka," she said. "You will work there until you pay what you owe to both the Hinata House and to Keitaro."

"As for Kaolla and Sara," Ryu continued, "the both of them will help Shinobu with maintaing the kitchen and laundry." Ryu turned to Suu. "Suu as of this moment, no more inventions that go boom-boom. Two times a week, the hot springs will be cleaned by Narusegawa, Aoyama and Konno on a rotation."

"That's not fair!" Naru exclaimed. "What will Sakura be doing while we slave away?"

Ryu's eyes narrowed at the redheaded ronin, causing her to flinch. "Unlike you, Narusegawa, she IS a Tokyo U student. But that doesn't mean that she won't lend a hand to the chores. She will help out with the chores, since she is also living here, if only temporary." He then had a cool smile on his face. "If you don't want to help with the chores, then we can switch, and you can work on the dorm repairs. If you refuse to do either..." He pointed to the front door. Almost immediately, the girls got the hint.

"Mutsumi is exempt since she helps Haruka at the tea shop," Chun Li explained. She looked at Kitsune. "I think you better hurry, Kitsune. Haruka is already expecting you at the tea shop."

Grumbling to herself, Kitusne took the apron and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

* * *

At the tea shop, Kitusne stormed in. Mutsumi and Kentaro were already working, while Haruka was sitting behind the register. Keitaro was seated at the far end of the cafe, studying. "I don't believe this!" Kitsune said as she sat down in a chair.

Haruka had a mild expresison on her face. "Ryu and Chun Li told you about our arrangement?" she asked. Off Kitsune's look, Haruka replied, "I'll take that as a yes."

Kitsune saw Keitaro at the other end and marched over to him. "Aren't you going to do something about this?!" she half-shouted. "Those two got Naru and Motoko working maintaining the dorm while I'm stuck here!"

Keitaro looked back at Kitsune with none of his usual fear. "You brought this on yourselves," he said in a cold tone. "Now leave me alone. I have to study."

Kitsune was about to yell out something else when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that it was Haruka.

"Put that apron on and get to work," she ordered.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Several days had passed and the repairs to Hinata House started without any incident. After all, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune would not try and invoke the wrath of their new landlords, and decided to make the best of it.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The chores that Keitaro had done with experienced ease was hard on Naru, who had led a mostly sheltered life before moving to Hinata House. Motoko, however, her body toned from her kendo training, saw it only as a challenge.

At Haruka's teashop, Kitsune was forbidden to drink while she was on the job. And knowing full well of Haruka's wrath (which she unleashed upon Keitaro whenever he calls her aunt, or if Kentaro had slacked from his job), Kitsune was forced to sober up.

Suu, Shinobu and Sara had no problems with Ryu nor Chun Li. If anything, Shinobu was grateful for the extra help through Suu and Sara. Ryu and Chun Li had to only midly chastise Suu once concerning her mad experiments which put the dorm in danger, not mention her 'greeting dropkicks,' which also caused damage to the dorm. After that, Suu promised (in exchange for a crate of bananas from Brazil) not to cause any damage to the dorms while Ryu and Chun Li worked on the repairs.

Of course, to Naru, Motoko and Kitsune, it had appeared to them that the once easy-going dormitory had fallen under a virtual dictatorship, with Ryu and Chun Li having absolute authority.

Ryu and Chun Li worked out an effective system for the chores. Every other day, Naru and Motoko were to clean the dorms, while Kitsune worked nine-hour shifts at Haruka's teashop Monday through Friday, and a five-hour shift on Saturdays. Ryu and Chun Li worked on the dorm repairs while Naru and Motoko were at school and Kitsune was at Haruka's shop. Upon arriving at the dorm, they were to do their chores before anything else.

This was more than Naru, Motoko and Kitsune could stand. Kitsune, being the fox of Hinata House, decided to use her feminine wiles to try and convince Ryu into not letting her work for Haruka.

* * *

Kitusne found Ryu in his room. Chun Li was still in the baths. Wearing only a oversized dress shirt which was slightly opened, revealing her chest, and several choice pieces of lingerie underneath, Kitsune entered the landlord's room.

Ryu was half-naked from the waist up, dressed in a pair of pajama pants. He turned around and found Kitsune inside. "What is it?" he asked.

Kitsune sauntered over to him. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about the...arrangement with Haruka," she replied. "Chun Li won't listen to reason, but you seem like a reasonable fellow...and buff too," she added, trailing one fingernail across Ryu's abs. "Why don't you come to my room and we can discuss this over some sake, yes?"

She was surprised to see that unlike Keitaro, Ryu wasn't the least bit affected by her advances. "I don't think that you're my type, Kitsune. And I am a very happily married man."

Kitsune was even closer now. "What does your wife has that I don't, huh?"

"One thing is that she is extremely jealous if she sees someone flirting with me," Ryu replied, "and I am just about the same with her."

"She doesn't have to know what goes on between us," Kitsune rasped.

"I think she does," Ryu replied matter-of-factly. "She's right behind you."

Kitune's eyes became completely open after that statement. Ryu slowly moved from Kitsune as the fox turned around and found herself looking a a very furious Chun Li. The Chinese woman, having completed her bath, was dressed in a yellow nightshirt, and had basically seen Kitsune's attempt at seducing Ryu, and was currently cracking her knuckles, preparing to deal out some serious pain to the hussy.

"If you ever go near my husband," Chun Li warned in a low voice, "I will kick your ass to high heaven and throw you out in the streets...and it **won't** be in that order."

"Sorry," Kitsune squeaked out before running past Chun Li.

Ryu looked at the scene with an amused expression as Kitsune retreated to the safety of her room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naru and Motoko were watching the scene from the former's room. Pulling the wodden board back wide enough to see the exchange, they were shocked to see that aside the fact that Ryu wasn't the least bit interested in Kitsune, but the fact that Chun Li had walked in and was pretty close to maiming the offending fox.

Naru, as quietly as she could, slid the board back over the hole. "So much for Kitsune," she said. "What's wrong, Motoko?"

"I could sense Chun Li's ki," Motoko replied. "It was filled with so much rage and anger."

"What did you expect?" Naru shot back. "Kitsune did try and flirt with Ryu."

Minutes later, Kitsune entered Naru's room, having calmed down from her confrontation with the female landlord.

"I thought Chun Li was going to attack you," Motoko said. "If she had done that, then you wouldn't possibly survive."

Kitsune huffed at that. "So Ryu has a jealous wife. On top of that, she knows her way around the law. What gets me is that Ryu didn't react the way Keitaro does when I scam him. These two can be a problem, and I don't know if I can handle working for Haruka any longer."

"We need Keitaro back," Naru said. "But how do we get him to come back?"

At that moment, Kitsune flashed a foxy grin. "I got an idea. I call this one Operation Strikeout."

* * *

In order to get Keitaro back as manager, they planned to undermine Ryu and Chun Li's authority. The three girls planned to go on strike.

The next morning, after breakfast, instead of doing their chores, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune, instead of going down to Haruka's shop, they left the dorm, heading into Tokyo.

Chun Li appeared. "Where are you three going?" she asked. "All of you have work to do."

Kitsune turned to face the interim manager. "We've decided that enough is enough. You worked us like slaves for the past three days and enough is enough. We want Keitaro back and we won't do a lick of work unless you and Ryu resign and bring Keitaro back." She gave the Chinese woman a cool grin. "We'll see how far you can get, Miss Manager."

With that, the three residents left, leaving a slightly fuming Chun Li behind. "What's wrong?" Ryu asked as he appeared from the dining room.

Chun Li's expression changed from anger to that of a smirk. "So that's how they want to play, huh?" she said. She turned to Ryu. "Looks like the older girls don't like how we run the dorm, so they went on strike. I got a plan for them."

She walked over to the phone and dialed Haruka's shop. After several moments, Chun Li told Ryu of her plan and Ryu had to agree.

It was evil and devious, even for Chun Li, but it had to be done.

* * *

It was nighttime when Motoko, Naru and Kitsune had returned from Tokyo. As they approached Hinata House, they felt that something was wrong. Upon entering the building, they found the common area empty.

It was when each of them returned to their rooms they found that their doors were barricaded with several wooden boards, barring them from entering their rooms. Almost immediately, the three girls searched for the managers. They were in the dining room, as if they were waiting for them.

"Why can't we get into our rooms?" Naru demanded as the two older adults sipped their tea. "You have no right in doing that!"

Ryu gave them a small smile. "As a matter of fact, we both do, Narusegawa. You think that by pulling this little stunt makes you better than us? I don't think so."

"As a matter of fact," Chun Li continued, "since you three feel as if you are an exception to the rules by not wanting to help out with maintaining Hinata House, then you don't deserve to live here."

"WHAT?!" the three girls screeched.

"As of this moment," Ryu decreed, "the three of you are trespassing on private property. Until you come to your senses, you are banned from Hinata House." He tossed them two camping backpacks. "Get out."

"You're bluffing," Naru said. "You don't have the courage to throw us out."

She would find out just how wrong she was.

* * *

The door to Hinata House was abruptly slid open. First Motoko, then Kitsune who were held by their necks by Ryu, and last, Naru being manhandled by Chun Li, were tossed out of the house like yesterday's garbage, the two camping backpacks were the last things to be tossed out before the shoji door slammed in their faces.

After a few moments, the realization had set in for the three girls. The unthinkable has happened. Aside from being thrown out, Kitsune's plan had backfired in the most extreme way.

Unfortunately for Motoko, her sword was still inside. She considered going back for it, but after witnessing the combined strength of Ryu and Chun Li, that would be an unwise move. Even worse, for Kitsune, she couldn't get to her sake stash.

Naru was livid. She charged for the front door, but Motoko and Kitsune held her back. "This is not a battle we cannot win, Naru," Motoko said. She looked at the sky, where storm clouds were forming. "There is a storm coming. We need to get out of the opeb before the rain comes."

The decided to head over to Haruka's teashop. Maybe Haruka would allow them to stay with her until this whole thing blew over.

Unfortunately, they were wrong.

It was closing time when the girls attempted to enter Haruka's teashop, but Haruka had stepped into their path, barring them from entering. "So what happened today, Kitsune?" she asked, glaring at the oldest girl. "Why didn't you show up for work today?"

Kitsune backed away from Haruka's glare.

"We need a place to stay," Motoko said. "Ryu and Chun Li had forbid us to enter Hinata House."

"Why?" Haruka asked.

Naru thought of lying to Haruka, but decided against it. "We went on strike in order to get Ryu and Chun Li to bring Keitaro back," she confessed, "and they threw us out."

"And what makes you think that I'm going to let you three in? You three made your bed. Now lie in it." With that, Haruka slammed the door in their faces, effectively ending their conversation.

To make matters worse, it had already rained earlier, and as they walked along the sidewalk, a speeding truck sped by, splashing them with water as they passed a puddle, drenching them completely.

Somewhere in the back of Kitsune's mind, she wondered if this was a bad idea in trying to test their managers.

* * *

The girls found themselves at the park where Keitaro had made his promise as a boy. Storm clouds were gathering and the wind was starting to pick up. Naru, Motoko and Kitsune hastily used the camping packs to build two tents. Unfortunately, one of the tents was done wrong, forcing the three to share a tent, which only had room for two.

* * *

Back in Hinata House, the storm was starting to pick up as Ryu, Chun Li, and the other Hinata residents, along with Keitaro sat down for dinner. Through Keitaro, who was present at Haruka's cafe when his aunt refused the girls entry, told Mutsumi and the others about what had happened, which explained why Suu's latest invention had done the work that Motoko and Naru was supposed to do.

"I hope they are all right," Shinobu said as she set the last plate down and took her seat.

"As long as they follow the instructions on how to build a tent," Ryu replied, "they will be fine."

"You mean these instructions?" Chun Li asked innocently, holding two folded pamphlets in her hands. "I took them out after we bought those camping packs. I want those three to suffer for this offense. I want them to come crawling back here after this is through."

"That's mean!" Shinobu said, "but after how they treated Sempai after all he has done for us, they deserve it."

* * *

The night in the park was hell for Naru, Motoko and Kitsune. Worse yet, the tent had torn open and the girls were drenched to the bone. Neither had no money, since they had spent it during their trip into Tokyo.

If Keitaro had seen the hell that Chun Li and Ryu had put them through, he would have most likely be grinning form ear to ear. 

The old saying was indeed true: revenge is a dish best served cold.

And unbeknowst to the girls, this was just merely the beginning.

* * *

The next day, Naru, Kitsune and Motoko, hungry and exhausted from their night out, their clothes muddy as well as their faces, dragged what was left of the camping bags up the stairway. Apparently, hunger, being cold and a severe lack of money had pushed them past the breaking point. Swallowing their pride, they decided to return to Hinata House to beg for forgiveness from their managers.

Upon reaching the summit, they found Haruka, Ryu and Chun Li waiting for them, since Haruka was visiting the dorm and Keitaro had phoned her when he saw the girls head for the stairway. Deep down, he was jumping for joy. He had did the right thing in hiring those two as the managers.

"Do you three have anything to say for yourselves?" Haruka asked in her monotone voice.

"We...we give up," Naru mumbled. "Please...let us back in."

"Do you three promise that you will follow the rules and perform your chores from now on?" Ryu asked, arms folded.

They all nodded.

"One more question, and we will let you go," Chun Li said. "Whose idea was it to strike?"

The three adults knew that it was Kitsune's idea, but decided to see if they were really sincere about them coming back to the dorm.

Kitsune limped forward. "It was me."

"At least all that sake you drink didn't affect your brain," Haruka spat out.

"However, you three will be punished for this stunt," Ryu said. "Narusegawa and Aoyama, since young Maehara, Suu and Sara have volunteered to complete your chores which you failed to do yesterday, your workload is doubled for one week." He turned to Kitsune. "As for you, Konno, you are forbidden to consume alcohol on the property. You will also work a double-shift for one week at Haruka's tea shop, and we have confiscated all of your sake bottles, including the ones hidden in your room. If we see you with **any** kind of liquor on the premesis, you will be evicted from this dorm and banned for life. Is that clear?"

Neither girl was in the mood to argue. It was either accept these terms or face permanent expulsion from the dorm. They nodded in the affirmative.

The three adults moved to the side. "Get yourselves cleaned up. You three have the day off to rest," Chun Li said. "Because you're going to need it tomorrow."

Without a single word, Naru, Kitsune, and Motoko shambled inside. Eventhough they were happy that they were allowed back into the dorm, it was bittersweet, since the two landlords had clearly gained the upper hand on them.  



	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six 

Two weeks had passed since the strike and sure enough, Ryu and Chun Li made Naru and Motoko's lives miserable with the near-staggering workload they had planned for them, while Haruka made Kistune's life a living hell. Even with her martial arts training, Motoko was exhausted and the only thing that the girls could do after that week was simply eat, take a bath, when fall asleep.

However, given the tempers of both Naru and Motoko, that wasn't going to last.

* * *

That morning, Ryu had left an announcment with Chun Li, who told the girls that Ryu was taking the day off. As usual, Naru, being the most vocal of the girls, immediately shouted that the manager should be at the dorm at all times. Chun Li, her patience with the redhead growing thin, reminded her that she was also the manager and that Ryu was taking today off for 'personal reasons,' and that she was in charge of the dorm until he comes back. 

Naru was outside sweeping the stone walkway when Motoko, who was finished with her chores long before Naru, came from around the house, dressed in her hakama and sweating, following her training session. Chun Li had went shopping, taking Shinobu, Suu and Sara with her and Kitsune was working at Haruka's shop.

Apparently, the two girls were still mad over the failed strike.

"I can't believe this!" Naru huffed, throwing down the broom in frustration. "Just wait until that baka comes back!"

Motoko nodded. "Urashima has crossed the line this time. These chores are the respnsibility of the manager, not us. I think it's high time to remind him what his responsibilities are once Ryu and Chun Li are gone."

Naru was about to reply when she heard voices coming from the stairs. Motoko stiffened slightly as she felt the ki signatures of three more persons other than Ryu.

Naru turned to the stairway and marched over there. "I am going to give those two a piece of my--" She stopped in her tracks as to what she saw. Motoko stood beside her.

Ryu was walking up the stairway, but he wasn't alone. Flanking him on both sides, were two men, older than he was, Sakura, and another man walking beside her. Ryu was dressed in a simple gray-and-black hakama, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His headband was wrapped around his forehead. The man on the left was just as built, despite his age. He was bald, with white hair on the sides of his head and a flowing white beard.

A scar was evident over his left eyebrow and his arms showed even more scars on them. To both Hinata House residents, he reminded them of the ascetic yamabushi of old, due to his homely appearance, as well as the brown tattered gi he wore. On his neck, he wore a massive set of prayer beads. If anything, he could pass for Ryu's grandfather.

It was, however, the man on the fight that made both Naru and Motoko uneasy. The second man was younger than the other man, but still older than Ryu. Instead of a hakama, he was dressed in a tattered black karate gi, with a length of coarse brown rope wrapped around his waist in liew of a belt. His hair was red, with gray streaks on the sides, and tied into a topknot, although to Naru and Motoko, it reminded them of a flaming lotus bud.

Unlike the other man's gentle face, his expression was the exact opposite. His face looked like it was ready for battle, the eyes red, the end result of an exorcism gone wrong.

Sakura was dressed in a simple yukata, her hair neatly combed back. The last man was American, just as muscular as Ryu, both Naru and Motoko deducted, with shoulder-length reddish blond hair tied into a ponytail, and unlike his Japanese counterparts, was dressed in a tailored suit.

Motoko got over her shock. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Ryu looked at the female kendoist. "It is none of your concern, Aoyama. Now move."

"Just where were you?!" Naru half-shouted. "You are supposed to be here for the residents! And this is still a women's dormitory! You can't just walk out of here--"

"Narusegawa," Ryu cut in, his voice taking on a steely hardness. "Shut the hell up. You, or that pathetic excuse for a kendoist, are in no position to tell me what I can and can not do. I, as well as my wife, are the managers here, not you." He pointed to the other three men. "They are here because I invited them. The two older men are my masters in Ansatsuken, and the American is a friend of mine, so either you show them the utmost respect while they are here or I will show you the door."

Naru backed off. Following the failed strike, Naru knew that Ryu could drop her in an instant. Ryu saw that Motoko still had her sword out, preparing to attack the red-haired man. "Aoyama, I said to put your sword away, now."

The man in the black gi turned to Ryu. "Aoyama, you say?" he quipped, his voice deep and resonating power that made Naru flinch. "I didn't know you had a Shinmeiryu runt here, Ryu."

"How...dare you, you...vile male!" Motoko shouted. "You dare insult my school and my honor?"

"And what exactly are you going to do about it, pup?" the dark man taunted, turning back to Motoko.

Motoko charged at the newcomer, sword held high. When she got close enough, the man merely caught her wrists in a vicelike grip and just as Ryu had done, disarmed her and Motoko found herself feeling the sword's blade against her throat.

"All too easy," the man said. "Is this what the Shinmeiryu producing now? Your ancestors would be turning in their graves." His grip on the sword tightened. "A word of advice, little one. Try and show your elders a little bit more respect. You'll live longer that way."

Ryu turned to the other man. "Master Gouken, do you mind?"

Gouken sighed. "Gouki, you have made your point. Let the girl go."

Gouki, or Akuma rather removed the sword and tossed it to the ground, the blade sticking out. "Be thankful to my brother, and to Ryu that I won't spill your guts to the light of day." He walked back to the other three Ansatsuken masters. He cast another hard glare at Motoko, who was visibly shaken before turning to Ryu and the others. All three men walked inside the dorm without further incident.

Naru rushed over to Motoko, who was still visibly shaken. "It's him..." she breathed. "I...I have thought that Ryu was bluffing when he said he praticed Ansatsuken..."

"Who were they?" Naru asked, noticing the damp spot that was appearing on Motoko's hakama pants. Whoever the guy was, he had scared Motoko to point that she had urinated on herself.

Motoko slumped to her knees. "Akuma...the...'The Master of the Fists.' I...I thought he was just a myth."

At that moment, Chun Li and the others showed up, carrying bags of groceries. Chun Li looked at Motoko. "What happened to you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Some guy named Akuma did this to her," Naru said. "He scared her senseless."

Chun Li nodded in understanding. "You didn't attack him did you, Motoko? He has that effect on most people who try to fight him."

Naru looked at Chun Li. "Why are you so calm about this? He could have mauled Motoko!"

"And he didn't," Chun Li replied, "because today is the anniversary of Master Gotetsu's death. Gotetsu is the man who trained Ryu's masters. That is why they are here. Motoko got lucky he didn't attack her, and believe me when I say this..Akuma is scary whenever he fights. The other man is Master Gouken."

"Who is the blond guy that was with him?" Naru asked.

"That's Ken Masters," Chun Li replied. "They both trained together. He is also the heir of the Masters family fortune, and sponsors several of the high schools and cram schools here."

Naru blinked. "That was Ken Masters? The Pan-American champion?"

* * *

Inside the dining room, Sakura served the four men tea before excusing herself from the room. 

Gouken looked around. "This place still looks the same. Where's Hina?"

"From what Keitaro has told me, she has gone on a world tour," Ryu replied. "She has been gone for some time."

"So," Akuma began, "what is it that you wanted to tell us?"

"Chun Li and I have decided to open a joint-martial arts school on the other side of Kangawa," Ryu replied. "We have already found a perfect location near Red Sparrow."

"And you want our blessings," Gouken surmised.

"Not to mention some extra funds and a sponsor," Ken butted in.

Ryu nodded.

"Well...now that you're married and settled down, it would be good for you to pass on our skills," Gouken said after thinking about it long and hard. "And you might need some help in teaching the students, so perhaps Gouki and I can be of assistance when needed."

"But what are you going to call the school?" Akuma asked. "No one in their right mind would attend a school whose tranlation means 'Assassin Fist.'"

"I got that covered, Uncle," Ryu replied. "Everyone seem to think that our fighting style is for some reason a Shotokan variant of karate. Chun Li and I have decided to call the dojo the Shotokan-Wushu School of Martial Arts."

At that moment, Chun Li entered the dining room, balancing the bags of groceries. She exchanged greetings with Ken and the older men before excusing herself to the kitchen to put away the food.

"As for the school," Gouken continued, "You have my blessings."

"And mine as well," Akuma added.

Ryu acknowledged them both with a nod to the head. "Thank you." He looked at Ken. "Well?"

Ken folded his arms across his chest. "You know what I want."

Both Gouken and Akuma knew where this was going. Chun Li, who had been listening in on the conversation, also knew.

Ryu smiled. "You don't get tired of this, do you?"

Ken smirked to himself. "I could say the same for you."

"Maybe," Ryu replied, "but I got the better win record between us. On the roof, five minutes."

* * *

Ryu and Ken faced off on the rooftop of Hinata House where Shinobu would hang her laundry. Ryu was dressed in his usual tattered white gi and red headband, while Ken was dressed in his red gi, which was in the same condition as Ryu's. 

Both men turned to Gouken and Akuma and bowed, showing respect for their masters. The two elder Ansatsuken fighters nodded back, both of them with their arms folded. Chun Li also stood on the sidelines, standing beside Gouken, while Sakura stood near the stairs.

The two younger fighters turned to each other and went into their fighting stances after bowing to one another. It was a basic Ansatsuken side stance that they both used; the left arm led out in front, deceptively low but ready to parry away a slew of assaults from any angle, while the right was held closer to his face, clenched into a loose fist which could attack or defend at a moment's notice.

Then the fight began.

Ken, ever the aggressor, attacked first, throwing several punches to Ryu's head and chest areas, the Japanese fighter defending and parrying the attacks, before Ryu fought back, his one of his punches glancing off of Ken's head, snapping it to the side, before Ken countered with a punch of his own.

As the fight continued, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune appeared from the stairs and saw the fight between the two men. Motoko, as well as Naru kept their distance from Akuma, remembering well their last encounter from earlier, while Kitsune stayed away from Chun Li, the Hinata House residents preferring to stand around Sakura.

Kitsune was watching Ken with interest. "He's cute. Who is he?" she asked Sakura.

"Ken Masters," Sakura replied. "He's also trained in Ansatsuken and he is a longtime friend and rival of Ryu."

Motoko blinked. "Ken Masters? That's Ken Masters? The Pan-American champion?"

Apparently, Motoko remembered Ken Masters from earlier. The Masters Foundation was one of the sponsors of her school, as well as one of the sponsors of her school's Karate and Kendo teams. "That gaijin is also a master in Ansatsuken?" the kendoist asked.

Sakura nodded. "That gaijin you speak of is half-Japanese," she replied flatly.

Meanwhile, the match continued. Ken's style of Ansatsuken was more style than substance, while Ryu's was more substance. They had both agreed not to use their ki attacks, since one misfired Hadouken would put the spectators' lives at risk.

It was, however, one miscalculation that cost Ken the match. His ego getting the best of him, he attempted a Shoryuken, but missed. When he landed, Ryu was in the air, spinning, the last thing Ken saw before he was sent spinning to the ground was Ryu's outstretched foot slamming into his face three times.

"Tatsumaki...Senpuukyaku!"

Naru winced as Ryu's Hurricane Gale Kick connected, knocking Ken to the floor.

Ken decided that enough was enough. "Okay, okay. You win this round."

Ryu extended his hand and helped Ken to his feet. They both bowed to each other, then to Gouken and Akuma, who returned the gesture.

* * *

Later on, as the girls were in their rooms, Keitaro, who was visiting, asked to speak with Ryu and Chun Li in private. 

The two interim landlords and the vacationing landlord were in the dining room, having tea. "I hope the girls aren't causing you too much trouble," Keitaro said.

Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "They are just spoiled, with the exception of Mutsumi and the younger ones. They are not quite used to hard work. So what do you want to see us for?"

Keitaro leaned back in his seat. "Several of my friends are in need of a place to stay. Like me when I first came here, they were kicked out. I'm telling you two this beforehand. I'm going to change Hinata House into a co-ed dormitory."

Chun Li could almost see the reactions from Naru, Motoko and Kitsune. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

Keitaro nodded firmly.

"So..." Chun Li began. "Who delivers the news to the girls?"

"I will," Keitaro said. "Granny Hina left this place to me and this is my decision."

Ryu nodded. "Now you know what it means to finally stand up for yourself, Keitaro."

"One more thing, Ryu." Off Ryu's puzzled look, Keitaro asked, "Did your sensei really made Motoko pee in her hakama?"

Ryu grinned. "You would have enjoyed it, Keitaro. The look on her face was priceless."

* * *

Fortunately, the following day was their much-deserved day off. So before they could enjoy it, Chun Li and Ryu had asked them to come to the common room for an announcement. 

Upon arriving, they saw that Keitaro was waiting for them, along with Haruka as the girls sat down. Suu, however, had another idea in her head.

"Keitaro!" Suu cried, leaping torwards the vacationing manager in her usual fashion, which was a greeting dropkick. Keitaro, having been dropkicked one too many times by Suu, ducked and Suu went flying past him, crashing into a crate which had came in earlier that day. Fortunately for Suu, she had crashed and burned into the promised crate of bananas that Ryu had shipped from Brazil.

Almost immediately, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune were relieved. After working their fingers to the bone, and having been kicked out, Keitaro was finally back.

"Are you coming back as manager?" Naru asked.

"Please come back, Urashima," Motoko pleaded.

Keitaro shook his head. "No. I came here because I have an announcement to make." He looked at the girls closely. "As of this moment, Hinata House is no longer a Girls-only dormitory. It is now co-ed."

The reacion was almost instantaneous.

"A CO-ED DORM?!" Naru screamed. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"I cannot accept this, Urashima!" Motoko shouted. "What about Suu and Shinobu?! They could be put at risk!"

"Granny Hina would have never allowed this!" Kitsune shouted.

"**SHUT UP**!" Keitaro bellowed with enough anger in his voice. This caused the other girls to back off as Keitaro glared at all three. "You three are in no position to be telling me what I can and can not do! I am still the landlord of this dorm!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs now, having completely snapped. "Either you accept my decisions and live with it or you can pack your shit and get the hell out of my dorm!"

Naru, Motoko and Kitusne were taken aback at their manager's words. Haruka was impressed that her nephew had finally grown a spine. The same couldn't be said for both Naru and Motoko, since they both charged at Keitaro. 

"**YOU DAMNED BASTARD!**" Naru screamed.

"**PREPARE TO DIE, URASHIMA!**" Motoko cried out as she reached for her shinai, having left her sword left in her room.

"Myuh...myuh."

In Motoko's path, was Tama-chan. The Okinawan hotsprings turtle was at Motoko's eyelevel, seeing as how she was flying. In an instant, Motoko's rage at Keitaro was immediately overridden by her phobia of turtles.

"T-turtle! Get it away from me!" Motoko screamed as she swung her shinai at Tama. In her state of fear, she had inadvertantly caught Naru full in the face, knocking Naru out cold. Then Tama landed on Motoko's head. At that moment, Motoko passed out.

Keitaro looked at the sight of Naru and Motoko on the floor in a heap. "Serves them right," he said before turning to the door. He stopped to turn to Ryu and Chun Li. "I was hoping that they would assault me. That way I could evict them."

Kitsune blinked. "You were going to evict them?"

Without hesitating, Keitaro replied, "Yes...and you as well. You should be thanking me, Kitsune. Ryu and Chun Li talked me out of it and took this job of running this damn circus. I'd watch myself if I were you."


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven 

Sure enough, several boys did arrive at the Hinata House, now a co-ed dormitory, much to Naru, Motoko and Kitsune's dismay. The first two were Keitaro's friends, Haitani Masayuki and Shirai Kimiaki. Keitaro had personally vouched for them to Ryu and Chun Li, telling them that they are good people. Haitani was a university major, having been successful in completeing his entrance exams, whereas Shirai had a job working at Tokyo's Neverland them park along with Haitani.

The third person was Kentaro Sakata, having been thrown out of his father's house. Of course, neither male had any problems with the ground rules and that they were supposed to help out with the chores, with the exception of Kentaro, who continued to work at the teashop.

Shirai, however was torn over his crush on Haruka to his newfound crush on Haruka to his new infatuation with Chun Li, who just shrugged it off. Kitsune, on the other hand, was alarmed. Following Keitaro's confession, she told Naru and Motoko what he had told her when they were out cold. After seeing Keitaro's outburst earlier, the girls were certain that he would eventually back up on that promise, leaving the younger girls at his mercy.

* * *

Early one morning, a Japanese chestnut tree had fallen, blocking the annex. Almost immediately, the girls confronted Ryu about it, demanding that he should get rid of it. 

After checking out the turned tree (which Ryu suspected that it was Motoko's doing), Ryu grinned to himself and turned to Sakura. "Get my sword, and an axe," he said.

Minutes later, Sakura returned with his Masamune, as well as an axe. Ryu accepted his weapon from his apprentice and unsheathed the weapon. With the girls watching in disbelief, Ryu methodically dismantled the tree into several pieces as the girls slunk back into the house, all except for Motoko, who watched Ryu from the balcony as Sakura began to split several piles of wood, with Ryu watching.

"There are many sounds in nature," Ryu explained. "Each sound is more different than the last."

He had turned the woodsplitting into a training session for Sakura, explaining that chopping firewood would (and was proven) strengthen her wrists and increase her reflexes. Motoko saw that Ryu wasn't a traditional martial arts teacher. He took rather unorthodox methods when it came to training Sakura, combining the old with the new.

"They are small enough to go unnoticed by the person, who is unaware," Ryu continued as Sakura had created a small heap of firewood at her feet. "Don't focus on hearing the wood split, but focus on the sound of the axe slicing the air. Read the air itself. It has much to say to you."

Motoko frowned. She remembered that Tsuruko had done something like this when she was younger. After several moments of watching Ryu and Sakura, she left as Shinobu came upstairs to hang the laundry out to dry.

* * *

The tension was present as everyone sat down for dinner. Following Keitaro's announcement several days earlier, Motoko and Naru watched both Haitani and Shirai like birds of prey. Fortunately, Chun Li had put a stop to it, but even she knew that it would be a matter of time before it would start again. 

While everyone ate, Shirai, while stealing glances of Chun Li, turned and saw Motoko glaring at him. "What?" he asked. "What did I do?"

"You and the other males' here are nothing but an abomination to Hinata House," Motoko said in a cold tone. "Regardless of what that weakling Urashima said, this is still a girls' dormitory."

"Motoko, stop that," Chun Li ordered.

"It will only be a matter of time before you do something perverted to Shinobu or anyone of us," Naru said. "You should do us all a favor and leave."

"That's not your decision to make," Chun Li said. "You may not like what Keitaro has done, but you will have to live with it. Otherwise, you can always leave."

"We're not going anywhere," Naru said. "We were here first."

"And Keitaro is still the landlord," Ryu replied. "He decides the tenants, not you, Narusegawa."

"In that case," Motoko butted in, staring Ryu down, "I challenge you to a duel. If I win, not only you and Chun Li leave Hinata House and never return, but Hinata House itself is changed back to a Girls' Dorm."

Time stopped as Kentaro, Haitani and Shirai stopped eating and paled at Motoko's challenge. They both looked at Ryu, who gave Motoko a small smile. "No."

"What's wrong?" Motoko sneered. "Not man enough to accept?"

"You are not in my league. Besides, what do I get if I win?" Ryu asked.

Motoko snorted. "**If** you win, then we will drop this matter and allow you and the other males to stay."

"That's not good enough, Aoyama," Ryu replied. "Ever since I've arrived, you, Narusegawa and Konno have challenged the authority of me and my wife, not to mention the judgment of Keitaro. So here are my terms. If I win, not only will your lease will be terminated, Aoyama..." He pointed to both Naru and Kitsune, "but the leases of both Narusegawa and Konno will be terminated as well." 

This time it was the girls' turn to stop and pale at Ryu's challenge. "You can't be serious," Naru said slowly.

"Does it look like I'm joking?" Ryu flatly replied. "You can still get out of this by simply leaving. If not..." He let that hang. "Then again, you can only fight defenseless men and not someone who is beyond you," he added.

That did Motoko in. "I accept."

Ryu smiled. "Outside, in the backyard, near the abandoned annex, five minutes." He then added with a cold grin, "Motoko, you have just made the biggest mistake of your life."

* * *

Hinata Tea Shop. 

Haruka answered the ringing phone. "Yeah, Hinata Tea Shop."

"Haruka, it's Sara. Motoko's challenged Ryu to a duel."

That caught Haruka's attention. "Motoko did **what**?"

Haruka's outburst caught Keitaro's attention. He was in a corner table, studying.

"She's challenged him to a fight. Her, Naru and Kitsune had demanded that they should resign, revert the dorm back into a girls' dormitory, and bring Keitaro back. Ryu accepted on the grounds that should Motoko loses, then her, Naru and Kitsune will be kicked out. The fight's near the abandoned annex."

In an instant, Haruka hung up the phone and turned to Keitaro. "Motoko's challenged Ryu to a duel."

Keitaro's expression didn't change. "Not my problem. If she wants to get herself and those other two kicked out, less trouble for me. I'm considering changing the dorm back into an inn anyway."

Haruka was taken aback by Keitaro's attitude. It was true. After the way the older girls had treated him, he changed, having reached his point of no return. The old Keitaro was gone, she realized. She thought that it was just a phase, given the events that had happened when Keitaro had announced that the dorm was now co-ed.

Apparently, she was wrong.

* * *

At the abandoned annex, the stage was set for the duel. 

Motoko looked at Ryu with nothing but coldness in her eyes as Sakura approached her, along with Haruka and Keitaro. Keitaro, for safety reasons, had ordered Shinobu, Suu and Sara to remain inside. Haitani and Shirai were standing beside Chun Li, anxious as to their fate at Hinata House.

"Motoko, I think you should reconsider this challenge," Sakura said. "You don't know what he is capable of."

Motoko looked at the Tokyo University student. "I am the heiress to the Shinmeiryu School," she stated defiantly. "I will not lose to a lowly male."

"That 'lowly male' is one of the best fighters in the world," Sakura replied. "I've seen hin fight madmen and psychopaths. You are not ready to fight him." Seeing that Motoko wouldn't listen to reason, Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she said as she walked over to the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Chun Li was talking to her husband. "Don't you think that the terms are a bit harsh?" she asked.

"You think they are?" Ryu replied. "Okay, the terms will still stand, but I'll give them a reprieve." He then turned to Motoko. "Last chance, Aoyama. You can still walk away from this battle."

"I refuse," Motoko replied coldly.

"Just to make sure that we are clear," Ryu said as he unsheathed his sword, balancing the flat side on his shoulder. "This match is under Kumite-style rules. If I defeat you by knocking you unconscious, then you, Narusegawa and Konno are evicted immediately."

"Agreed," Motoko said. "And if I defeat you, then you and Chun Li are gone, Keitaro comes back and Hinata House is back the way it should be."

Ryu nodded. "However," he continued, "my wife thinks that I'm unfair, so I will give you a chance to save you and your friends' leases. As I've said, this match is under Kumite rules. If you say 'matte' in our match, then you and the other two will stay. Understand?"

"I accept," Motoko replied. She drew Shisui from her sheath and moved into a combat stance. Ryu moved into his own stance (if anyone played the Samurai Showdown games, his basic Ansatsuken Shinjutsu stance is Genjuro's fighting stance).

One major aspect of Ansatuken Shinjutsu is that, like Shinmeiryu, it uses ki energy for projectile attacks. The major difference is that a praticioner of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu, after years of pratice and training, can train to use their ki and use the sword to asorb incoming ki attacks to the point of being destructive. Ryu was one of those people, the other two being Gouken and Gouki.

As he predicted, Motoko attacked first. She leapt into the air, releasing a blast of ki with her sword. "Hiken Zankuusen!"

Ryu raised his sword in what Motoko thought was a guard. But she was wrong.

The ki attack smashed into Ryu, or rather, his sword, the razor-sharp cobalt-colored blade absorbing the ki.

Motoko noticed something was wrong when she saw that Ryu was still standing. She also noticed that Ryu's blade, as a result of his ki-asorb technique, was glowing with a blue light.

Then Ryu swung his own sword at her. "Senpuuken!"

A violent twister, made out of bright blue ki energy, the combination of his and Motoko's ki energies, and as tall as Ryu, rushed towards Motoko with blinding speed. The Shinmeiryu heiress barely avoided the attack as it crashed into a tree, reducing it to splinters.

From the sidelines, the Urashimas and the Hinata House residents stood in shock as to what had happened. Not only did he asorbed her ki attack, but had combined it with his own ki and fired it back at her.

"It appears that Motoko has bitten off more that she can chew," Haruka noted.

Naru and Kitsune turned to the aunt of their wayward landlord. "What do you mean?" Naru asked.

"Aside from being a world-class martial artist," Haruka continued in her deadpan tone, "Ryu is the current shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu, which is the opposite of Motoko's Shinmeiryu style. I've heard rumors about it, but it's true." She looked at the two younger girls. "Motoko just might lose."

The prospect of Motoko Aoyama losing and being evicted was too much for Naru to think. She hoped that Motoko would come out of this. She then turned to Keitaro and yelled, "Aren't you going to do something about this?!"

"Why should I?" Keitaro sniffed. "I'm not the manager. But it looks like that Motoko will receive what's coming to her."

Meanwhile, Motoko stood to her feet. She looked at the destroyed tree, then back at Ryu. "Impossible...how?!"

"I forgot to mention that I am the current shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu," Ryu stated casually. "I thought you were the heiress of the Shinmeiryu School. They should not have given it to you. Tsuruko is a more worthy challenge than you will ever be."

That caught Motoko off guard. "How do you know my sister?"

"Shouryujinken!" Ryu shouted, unleashing another wave of ki energy - this time it was an angry reddish color, shaped like the head of a dragon - at Motoko. This time, Motoko knew that she couldn't avoid it. She raised her sword in a defensive block as the ki energy reached her, smashing into her and sending her into the air, until she landed, skidding several feet across the ground, her hand losing her grip on her sword.

"Motoko!" both Naru and Kitsune screamed.

Haruka shook her head. "He's playing with her, like a cat with a mouse," she noted.

Chun Li looked at Haruka. "You noticed that too?" she asked.

In the meantime, Ryu watched as Motoko retrieved her sword. Once she had it in her hands, Ryu attacked. Not with a ki attack, but instead, he lunged and swung his sword in rapid succesion. He wasn't even using ki energy. He was moving **that** fast. Motoko was hard pressed to defend and deflect the blows as they rained down on her with no mercy.

However, Motoko did get a bit of a reprieve. She managed to lock her blade with Ryu's. He simply responded by slamming his head into hers in the form of a headbutt, which was immediately followed by a roundhouse kick that spun her to the ground.

"I'm waiting to be impressed, Aoyama," Ryu said.

Motoko slowly stood up. She tasted blood in her mouth and spit it out. Her legs buckled slightly, but she still kept her footing.

Ryu continued talking. "How I know your sister, you may be asking yourself? Easy. Ten years ago, I fought Tsuruko Aoyama in a duel. You were there, but you were a child then. The match ended in a draw, though."

At that moment, Motoko remembered. She was six at the time. She watched Tsuruko and a younger Ryu duel, which ended as Ryu had said it would end - in a standoff. He was a lot younger as well, with reddish brown hair, the skin tone was lighter and he was wearing a white headband instead of the red. But Motoko put the clues together and she realized that it was indeed him.

"You..." Motoko started. She then went into a full rage. "**You!**"

She charged at Ryu and leapt into the air. She wasn't going to use her ki attack this time.

She was going to cleave him in two.

Ryu quickly sheathed his sword, and went into his fighting stance. He easily sidestepped her attack and casually tripped her, Motoko landing on her back. He raised one foot and brought it down. Motoko rolled out of the way as Ryu's foot landed where her head once was located and jumped to her feet.

Ryu casually removed his sword, still inside his scabbard and casually deflected Motoko's attacks. Then he lashed out, catching Motoko in her torso. Once, twice, three times before the scabbard connected with her jaw, knocking her flat on her back.

"The blade's not the only weapon on the sword," Ryu said. He looked down at Motoko. "Give up, Motoko."

'He's as skilled as Oneesan!' Motoko screamed inside her mind. 'He maybe even better than her! No! I can't lose! NOT TO HIM!' As she was screaming at herself, Ryu was rapidly closing the distance, meaning that he wanted to end the fight.

Motoko, however was ready.

"Messatsu Zankuu Zanmasen!" the female kendoist yelled, unleashing her strongest technique on Ryu, in the form of a massive ki attack when Ryu was no more then several feet away, sword unsheathed.

Ryu smirked to himself. "I've seen that move before, Aoyama!" He yelled before somersaulting over the ki attack, much to everyone's amazement, although his gi was torn from the attack. Flipping in the air, he prepared his own ultimate technique, taught to him by Akuma by summoning his own ki and channeling it to the blade.

His sword glowing once again, this time with an unnatural purple glow, Ryu came down on Motoko, who brought her sword in a defensive block...

...which did absolutely no good on Ryu's final attack.

"Ready...set..." Ryu began, " and **DESTROY**!"

Ryu impaled the sword into the ground, engulfing both himself and Motoko in a geyser of purple energy. The effect lasted for three seconds, but the results were devestating as the audience covered their eyes from the intense flash of light as Ryu executed one of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu's most powerful techniques.

The translation for the move was Continent-Destroying Vajra Slash, but it was better known as the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan.

Fortunately for Motoko, Ryu wasn't using all of his strength, otherwise, she would not have been alive once the dust settled. As the dust settled, everyone saw something that they wasn't expecting.

Ryu was still in his pose, sword still impaled in the ground. He looked pratically unscathed, with the exception of the dust on his gi and skin. Motoko, however, was still standing, but her hakama was shredded in several places and she looked battered and beaten. The ground around them was a small crater, the end result of Ryu's attack.

Ryu stood up and yanked his sword from the ground. In one quick motion, he sheathed it. Looking at Motoko, he simply said, "This is where you fall down."

Motoko stood there for a few moments. First, her sword fell from her hand, landing on the ground. Then she keeled over.

For a long moment, everyone (with the exception of Chun Li and Sakura) tried to grasp the situation. Motoko Aoyama was defeated in combat. Haitani and Shirai's jaws dropped to the ground. This was the first time ever that Motoko was actually defeated in a match. Even Keitaro was in shock. He didn't realize that Ryu was that powerful, but the results spoke for themselves.

Motoko Aoyama was down.

Then came the scream.

The scream came from Naru, who sank to her knees and started to cry. Kitusne tried to take on a brave facade, but even she broke down in tears, shooting a nasty look at Keitaro, who was grinning from ear to ear.

Motoko had received a dose of her own medicine. To Keitaro, it was the sweetest thing in the world.

Ryu approached the two distraught girls and stopped. Without looking at them, he said, "As of this moment, you two are hearby evicted from Hinata House. You two - as well as Aoyama - have until noon tomorrow to vacate your rooms. Failure to do so will result in me calling the police."

As he tossed his sword to Chun Li, Ryu stopped. He then turned around. What he saw didn't surprise him the very least. Motoko, beaten and bruised, tried to stand, but one of her legs wouldn't allow it.

"Wait..." Motoko gasped. "I am not defeated yet."

Ryu looked at Motoko. "Just give up, Motoko. You can't stand on that leg of yours. It's over." He walked over to her, disarmed her when she tried to swing his sword at him, and with one hand, grabbed her hakama top and hoisted her into the air, lifting her cleanly from the ground.

Motoko was helpless as she watched Ryu raise his other hand, which was balled into a fist. He cocked it back. "Goodnight, Motoko," he deadpanned as he sent his fist towards Motoko's head.

"...matte."

Ryu's fist stopped, mere centimeters from smashing into Motoko's face. "Excuse me? Did you say something?"

Motoko looked at Ryu with complete hatred in her eyes. "Matte," she said through clenched teeth.

"Say it so that everyone can hear you," Ryu ordered.

"**MATTE!**" Motoko screamed.

Satisfied, Ryu dropped Motoko to the ground. He turned to Naru and Kitsune. "Looks like you two still got a roof over your heads," he said as he walked away from the humiliated kendoist.

With the exception of Keitaro, Chun Li and Sakura, everyone was shocked as to what had happened. Ryu had not only defeated Motoko, but had humiliated her by making her say 'matte.' Even Haruka, whose deadpan expression was replaced with that of complete surprize.

As Ryu walked away, Motoko reached for her sword. If her ki attacks won't work on him, then she can always cleave him in two with her blade.

Chun Li saw Motoko. Ryu caught the look that his wife was giving him and gave her a quick nod.

"**DIE, YOU...YOU...VILE MALE!**" Motoko screamed as she charged.

"Motoko, no!" Haruka yelled. 

Chun Li tossed Ryu his sword, who caught it. As he spun, avoiding Motoko's attempt to decapitate him, Ryu unsheathed his sword. When Motoko spun around, Ryu swung his own sword three times. "Ansatsuken Shinjutsu-ryu...Zantetsuken!"

Time seem to stop for a moment. Then, as Ryu calmly sheathed his sword. Upon hearing it click, Motoko's blade was reduced to several jagged pieces, Ryu having cleanly sliced through Shisui's blade.

The look from Motoko's face turned from anger to that of sheer horror. "No...**NO!**" she howled.

**CRACK.**

Her scream of anguish was abruptly cut off when Ryu smacked her in the head with his sword's scabbard, knocking her out. Ryu looked at the pitiful sight before him before turning back to the gathered guests, particulary Naru and Kitsune. 

"Get your friend and take her back to her room," he stated calmly. He then added in a slightly dangerous tone. "Never challenge me or my wife's judgment again. Next time you do, you better be prepared for a fight. So keep your tongues in check and do what is neccesary to keep this place running...or else."

He stalked back to the house, Chun Li accompanying him. Naru glared at Keitaro, her hands balled into fists, wanting to pound her vacationing manager into the ground. But after what she had witnessed, she concluded that it was a bad idea and after what she and the others witnessed, she would hold her temper...for now.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight 

Motoko was taken back to her room. Keitaro, in the meantime, had told Shinobu, Suu and Sara the chain of events which lead to Motoko losing.

Meanwhile, in Motoko's room, the unconscious kendo mistress was laid out on her futon. Haruka, Naru and Kitsune were watching over her, still in shock over what had happened moments earlier.

Kitsune's eyes were wide open. "I'd never though I'd see the day that Motoko would lose."

"Me neither," Naru said.

From her place by the door, Haruka noted, "She's not going to take this lightly, you know. First she loses to Ryu, then her sword is destroyed when she tried to attack Ryu from behind."

Naru turned to the older woman. "Haruka, how can you allow this?! Ryu nearly killed Motoko out there!"

Haruka shrugged her shoulders. "It's out of my hands." She replied in her deadpan voice. "Keitaro won't do nothing about it. It's his decision," she said before leaving the room. As she stopped at the doorway, she added, "Motoko should have known better. Her ego and her male complex were the reasons why she lost today."

She then left the scene. After a few moments, Naru stood up and walked to the door. "Where are you going?"

"I need answers," Naru replied.

Kitsune followed Naru out of Motoko's room. After a brief search, they found Sakura in the dining room, taking notes for her classes. In the back of Naru's mind, she was considering attacking Sakura, but seeing that Sakura herself was Ryu's student in the martial arts, they would have been a bad move on her part.

Sakura looked up from her notebook. "I tried to warn Motoko about Ryu, you know," she said as she placed her pencil down. "What you saw was only a fraction of what he's capable of."

Both Naru and Kitsune sat down. "Ryu said something about Ansatsuken Shinjutsu being the opposite of Motoko's style," Naru said. "What did he mean by that?"

"He only told me about it several times," Sakura replied. "Back during the Warring States era, there were two main styles of fighting: the Shinmeiryu, or God's Cry School, and the Ansatsuken School. As you know, Ansatsuken translates to as either Assassin or Murderous Fist. The hand-to-hand combat style incorporates elements of Karate, Judo, Taekwondo, and Koppo. However, it wasn't enough to deal with the paranormal, so a swordfighting style was created, combining the code of Bushido with that of the secretive arts of Ninjitsu. As a result, Ansatsuken Shinjutsu was born."

"Like the Shinmeiryu style," Sakura continued, "The Ansatsuken school dealt with the paranormal, demons and such. Masters Gouken and Akuma deal with the supernatural. In fact, Akuma's current look is the end result of an exorcism gone wrong, since the evil oni had gave him his spooky appearance. When Ryu said that his style is the opposite of Motoko's he meant it." She leaned in closer. "While Motoko's style utilizes positive ki energy, Ansatsuken utilises both positive and negative ki energy when it came to exorcising demons." She then imitated Ryu's voice, "'It's not the blade, but one's past sins that will destroy a demon.' Ryu told that to me when I asked him about it."

"So why haven't we heard about the Ansatsuken style then?" Naru asked.

"Because during the Second World War, the Ansatsuken School rebelled against the militant Japanese government," Sakura replied. "Several members of the school were Chinese. The school was founded on ideas of equality and fairness towards all who trained. They were nearly wiped out by the Japanese military, with the exception of two members: Sheng Long, the grandmaster at the time, and his pupil, Gotetsu. Later on, Gotetsu trained Gouken and Gouki, Ryu's masters. Gouken retired from fighting to live in the mountains while Gouki became the Shinjutsu master. Ryu had to fight him in order to become the shihan. Once Ryu won the match, Gouki awarded him the title of shihan, as well as that sword he uses."

Sakura paused for a moment. "Look, I know you got issues with Ryu and his wife. But they are good people and I look up to them very much."

Naru snorted. "Like I haven't heard that before."

"I'm serious," Sakura said. "You may think they're being hard on you, but all they're trying to do is to instill some responsibility into all of you and to show you how Keitaro feels when you and Motoko send him into low-Earth orbit."

"So does Ryu deal with the paranormal?" Kitsune asked.

Sakura nodded. "I remember a friend of mine being posessed by a demon one time. Ryu was there to exorcise the demon out of her. So yeah, he dabbles in it quite a bit, but not too much. That sword he uses is a heirloom that has been passed down for generations. You got to have great discipline to wield it. Legend has it that it holds the powers of great warriors from the past."

Sakura looked at the two Hinata House tenants. "I'm only going to say this once: stay on their good sides. You won't like them when they are mad. What you saw outside was a mere fraction of what he is capable of." The tone in her voice showed that she was serious. "There's more to the story."

"Like what?" Naru asked.

"After the swordfighting style was created, the Ansatsuken School branched out into two sects. One which uses positive, or light ki energy, while the other uses negative, or dark energy. Ryu can use both, as you have seen outside. Ryu was trained by both Masters Gouken and Akuma, which makes him even more dangerous, as Motoko have witnessed first-hand. Promise me that you won't make him or Chun Li mad."

* * *

Several days had passed since the battle outside the annex. Ryu was outside, sitting on the stairs while Chun Li had exited the dorm, fresh from her bath and dressed in casual attire: which consisted of a blue tanktop, track pants and tennis shoes. Ryu was clad in a simple white T-shirt and denim pants. On his feet, were a pair of leather sandals. His headband was still around his head.

From the tree that had fell, Ryu had carved and fashioned two wooden bokkens. He was smoothing out the last one, as he noticed two people - a teenage girl around Sakura's age and a slightly overweight Japanese man. The girl was Japanese, with curly blonde hair tied back with a blue ribbon. The red-and-white fighting uniform was a dead gveaway.

Ryu frowned immediately as both he and Chun Li recognized the newcomers as they both reached the summit. "I don't think you came to rent a room, Karin," he said midly.

Karin Kanzuki, along with her retainer, Ishizaki, scoffed. "Like I would be caught living in such a decadent place," she replied. "You know what I want."

"Sakura left earlier," Ryu replied flatly. "She is not here."

Neither person noticed Ishizaki sneak into Hinata House.

* * *

Once Ishizaki was inside the dorm, he set about to find Sakura and bring her outside on Karin's orders. He looked around the common room. No one was there. The girls were in the baths, while Kentaro was working at Haruka's cafe and Haitani and Shirai were hanging with Keitaro for the day.

Approaching the hot springs' changing room door, Ishizaki discovered the sign hanging outside, which read in English and Japanese **BATH OCCUPIED - PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB.**

Unfortunately, Ishizaki chose to ignore the sign as he entered the changing room.

Outside, Ryu and Chun Li still had their hands full with the annoying Karin.

"I told you already, Karin," Ryu insisted, his irrirtation with the Kanzuki heiress rising. "Sakura left earlier with several of her friends."

Karin smirked. "Is that so? Maybe your student is a coward to face me."

Ryu puffed at that. Sure his apprentice whined and complained on certain things, but cowardice wasn't one of her strong points. "If memory calls, you fought Sakura three times in the past...and you lost three times," he replied cooly. "You even challenged her on her graduation day and you lost then."

That remark made Karin extremely angry. It was at that moment Chun Li felt something was wrong. "Where's that butler of yours?" she asked.

Karin humped. "I sent him inside. I know you two are covering for Sakura."

Both Ryu and Chun Li exchanged worried glances. They turned to the dorm just as...

"**YOU PERVERT**!"

**KA-POW!**

All three fighters saw the screaming body of Ishizaki being propelled into the air before falling back into the hot springs, which was followed by...

"**DAMN YOU, YOU VILE MALE! HIKEN ZANKUUSEN!**"

**WHAM!**

* * *

What had happened was the fact that Ishizaki hadn't found Sakura Kasugano in the baths upon entering the hot springs. Instead, he found the four eldest girls of Hinata House bathing, Naru Narusegawa, Mutsumi Otohime, Motoko Aoyama and Mitsune Konno.

And the reactions on two of the tempermental girls' faces were instant. There was a man in a hotspring full of naked women, which was perfect for venting out their much pent up rage as they imagined the hapless Kanzuki butler as their manager.

Both Naru and Motoko, ignoring the fact that they were both naked, charged at Ishizaki, Naru with her fists at the ready while Motoko had a shinai in both hands.

"**YOU PERVERT!**" Naru screamed knocking Ishizaki straight into the air with a Super Naru Punch. Ishizaki screamed on the way down, right at Motoko.

"**DAMN YOU, YOU VILE MALE!**" Motoko shouted. "**HIKEN ZANKUUSEN!**"

This time, Motoko's ki blast had sent Ishizaki through the changing room doors, where he bounced off the wall and through the other changing room doors which lead to Hinata House's corridors.

* * *

Karin was alarmed. "What the hell is going on there?" she yelled as she started to take off for the dorm, but was held fast by Ryu. "Let go of me!"

"Trust me," Ryu replied. "You don't want to go in there just yet."

* * *

Ishizaki was being chased through the corridors of the Hinata House by Naru and Motoko, both now wearing nothing but bathrobes and towels. The Kanzuki butler managed to give them the slip, but as he rounded the corner, he ran right into one of Suu's most infamous greeting dropkicks, which connected right in his face.

"Cool!" Suu shouted. "I got a new playmate!" She was holding a remote control in her hands. "And just in time too! I had Mecha-Tama patrolling the halls for panty-snatchers, and I found one!"

As soon as Suu pressed the button, a mechanical turtle appeared, the same size and length as Tama herself. Before Ishizaki could do anything, Mecha-Tama fired off a energy blast, which knocked Ishizaki through a wall (which Keitaro had boarded up after Naru had knocked him through shortly before hiring Ryu and Chun Li).

Ishizaki shook the cobwebs out of his head as he heard Naru and Motoko's voices nearby.

"Where is he?!"

"He's in here! The male is in here!"

'These women are insane!' Ishizaki thought as he scrambled to his feet and out the door. 'If I don't get back to Mistress Karin soon, they are going to kill me!'

Rounding the corner, he saw that Suu and her Mecha-Tama was blocking the front door, while Naru and Motoko were closing in on him fast from the rear.

That distraction cost him, since Suu had Mecha-Tama fire another energy blast at the hapless butler, knocking him into Naru and Motoko. With clusmyness reminding them of Keitaro, Ishizaki found one hand on Naru's chest, and the other on Motoko's thigh.

If the girls were mad now, they were literally seeing red as they both attacked at the same time; Naru with a Power Naru Punch, while Motoko broke her shinai beating Ishizaki into a bloody pulp.

It was the second Naru-punch that sent Ishizaki through the open door and back outside. Whimpering, Ishizaki scrambled behind the safety of Karin as Naru and Motoko came running out.

In an instant, Karin stood at the ready to defend her battered retainer. But before the fight began, Chun Li put a stop to it. "Hold it!"

Motoko and Naru stopped in their tracks. Naru's fists were sore while Motoko had produced a new shinai.

Karin looked at her injured butler, then back at Naru and Motoko. "You did this to Ishizaki?" she asked.

"That pervert peeked on us in the hotsprings!" Naru shouted.

Motoko held her shinai in a combat stance. "He will face justice."

"You two have attacked my retainer," Karin said, "a retainer of the Kanzuki family! You will pay for this offense."

"Looking for me?" Sakura asked from the stairs.

Karin froze slightly as she turned around. Sakura was standing there, having returned from visiting friends in Tokyo.

"You think I'm lying now?" Ryu asked Karin crossly. "They way I see it, you have two choices, Karin. You can leave here and see after your man, or I call Suu and tell her that she has a new playmate, and Naru and Motoko have a new punching bag."

Almost immediately, Ishizaki grabbed Karin's legs in a vice grip. "Don't leave me here, Mistress Karin! Now with these girls!"

Karin smacked him on the back of his head. "Let go, idiot!" Once Ishizaki released Karin's leg, she marched to the stairs. Before descending the stairway, she stopped and turned to Sakura. "This isn't over, Kasugano. Next time, your sensei won't be there to save you."

"It never is for you," Sakura said. "When you come, I'll be ready."

Karin left the dorm, with Ishizaki limping after her. Naru and Motoko glared at the retreating figure until Chun Li cleared her throat.

"Would you two care to explain why you are wearing nothing but a towel and a bathrobe?" Chun Li asked.

After Naru and Motoko explained everything that happened, Ryu nodded. He turned to Chun Li. "It's your call," he said before walking back to the dorm, with Sakura following him.

Chun Li thought about it for a moment. "Since Ishizaki didn't listen to reason and he did come in the hot springs, this one is on the house. You two had a perfectly good reason in attacking him."

Both Naru and Motoko were shocked. Chun Li had actually supported them in this case.

"Get some clothes on," Chun Li said, "otherwise you will catch a cold."


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Following her duel, Motoko, having been humiliated by Ryu and letting Naru and Kitsune down, had taken a spare tanto that was hanging in her room. Chun Li, worried that Motoko would commit suicide following her loss to Ryu, watched as Motoko instead tied her hair into a ponytail and sliced her hair clean off (i.e., her short hairstyle from the manga). She had decided that following her loss to the Ansatsuken fighter, that she would live as a nun, but Chun Li talked her out of it.

"You can't win all your battles," Chun Li had told her. "Ryu once told me that you can gain more by learning from your defeats rather than gain an empty victory. So learn from this battle, Motoko, rather than make a choice you will regret for the rest of your life."

After Chun Li had left to tend to her husband's injuries (having suffered numerous bruises from Motoko's final attack, showing that he did not go through this battle unscathed), Motoko pondered Chun Li's words. They were the exact same thing that Tsuruko had told her shortly before she had gotten married.

* * *

Right now, Motoko was currently on the phone with her elder sister.

"So your sword was broken," Tsuruko Aoyama said from the other line. "You called me at a very bad time, Motoko, for Shin and I are about to leave for the Ryukyu Islands for our wedding anniversary. We won't be able to get a replacement sword until after I come back, which will be within the next month. So tell me something, Motoko...what happened?"

"Oneesan, do you remember Ryu Hoshi?" Motoko asked. "You fought against him when I was a young girl, remember?"

"I did. What does he have to do with anything?"

"It appears that Ryu has some history with Urashima," the now-shorthaired kendoist explained. "That weakling has hired on both Ryu and his wife to act as managers for the next two months." Motoko paused for a moment. "Oneesan, he is the current shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu. I thought that style was nothing but a myth."

"And knowing you, my dear sister," Tsuruko surmised, "the thought of having a male manager was too much for you to stand, so you challenged him to a duel, right?"

"Yes."

"And you lost to him. Am I right so far?" Tsuruko guessed. "Then, more than likely, since you don't take losing too well, you tried to get in a cheap shot and he used the Zantetsuken technique to destroy Shisui, correct?"

Motoko nearly dropped the phone. Tsuruko was correct on all counts.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," Tsuruko said. "I told you that your male complex would get you into trouble one day, Motoko. But Ryu was the last person I would expect for you to lose to. And you said that he is married now?"

"Yes. His wife is Chinese, and also a martial artist. Oneesan...how did you know about the Zantetsuken technique?"

"Along with the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan, the Zantetsuken is one of Ansatsuken's most deadliest techniques," Tsuruko replied. "I'm surprised to hear that Ryu had made it into an Shinjutsu technique. Motoko, the praticioners of both Ansatsuken and its kendo style are very powerful indeed."

"You sound like you admire him," Motoko noted dryly.

"I do, both as a fighter and as a praticioner of Kendo." Tsuruko paused for a moment. "He was the only person who managed a draw against me, and you know that I give my all whenever I fight. Yes...I think a duel against the Ansatsuken shihan is in order."

Motoko gritted her teeth.

"And stop grinding you teeth," Tsuruko added. "That's very unbecoming of a shihan."

Motoko 'eeped.'

"I have to go, Motoko," Tsuruko said. "I will visit in a couple of weeks."

* * *

As Motoko was on the phone with her sister, an all-girls' Karate club, thirty strong, had just arrived at Hinata City. All were dressed in their white karate gis, each with a level of mastery and experience. They were on a mission: find the man who had defeated Motoko and take their revenge.

Through Motoko's personal fan club, the Karate club received word that Motoko was defeated by a man. Almost immediately, the karate and kendo clubs were up in arms over this travesty.

Now the school that Motoko attended was a girls-only high school and was fiercely proud of its martial arts programs, particulary its kendo, judo and karate clubs. Its Karate club captain was a senior by the name of Kitami Shinoda, a friend of Motoko (and also suffereing from the same male-hating tendecies as her kendo counterpart), and a second degree black belt in both Kyokushin and Gojū Ryū Karate.

However, when the Kendo clubs found out that Motoko was defeated by the same man who had KO'ed her back at the mountain temple, they immediately backed off, seeing as how they knew what he was capable of.

* * *

Shortly after the Motoko's defeat...

Inside the all-girls' gym, the karate club was praticing, with Captain Shinoda watching, arms folded, when a schoolgirl, dressed in a fuku ran into the gym. "Captain Shinoda! Captain Shinoda!"

Kitami turned to the intruder. "What is it?" she asked, rather annoyed. "Can't you see that I am holding class here?"

"It's Motoko!" the girl replied. "She was defeated in a duel yesterday!"

At that comment, the entire karate club stopped what they were doing and turned to the girl, whispering amongst themselves.

Kitami, however, was in disbelief. "Motoko, defeated? Impossible. She is one of the top kendoists in the school. How can she be defeated?"

"She challenged a man to a duel, and lost! And he destroyed her sword!"

Gasps were heard throughout the ranks.

"And what is the kendo club going to do about this travesty?" Kitami asked.

"Nothing. They know this man from before and dare not to challenge him."

"Worthless spineless cowards," Kitami spat out. "Who is this man who dishonored Aoyama?"

"A Japanese master by the name of Ryu Hoshi. He is friends with Ken Masters."

Kitami snorted. "Regardless, the fact remains that he is friends with the school's sponsor, he has not only insulted Motoko, but had insulted this school! We must take our revenge!"

* * *

That's how it had started. From what Motoko's devotees had told them, Ryu was one of two interim managers that Keitaro Urashima had hired while Keitaro was on vacation. The other was his wife, a Chinese female who was also a martial artist. They also found out that Ryu had a apprentice in the martial arts.

Within several hours, Kitami had layed out her plan: arrive in Hinata City and find Ryu Hoshi. Once he was discovered, attack en masse. And should his wife or student try and interfere, then the worse for them.

* * *

Chun Li was at the markets with Shinobu, picking up some items for dinner. Sakura had decided to tag along at Ryu's request to bring him some herbal tea, which would help with the injuries he suffered from following Motoko's match.

On their way back to the dorm, they passed a boarded-up restaurant, which Shinobu stopped and regarded sadly. Chun Li caught the look in the young girl's eyes. "Are you okay, Shinobu?" she asked with concern.

Shinobu gestured to the closed-down restaurant. "This used to be my home, before my parents had gotten divorced," she replied sadly.

Chun Li was about to say something when several men - four in total - and not as much older than Kitsune appeared and surrounded the three. All of them reeked of alcohol and Chun Li suspected that they were armed. They were looking at her, mainly because she was wearing the blue-and-yellow trimmed jumpsuit which showed off her curvaceous frame, and matching sneakers. Instead of her vest, she wore a brown leather jacket. Her hair was done in her usual braided-and-bunned style.

"Hey there, cutie," the leader said. "Would you like to have a drink with us?"

Chun Li didn't respond. Instead, she pushed the leader aside and walked onward. However, that didn't deter the men as they surrounded the trio once again. Chun Li's suspicions were confirmed as two of them pulled out weapons; one a knife while the other a baseball bat.

"You shouldn't have done that," the leader said, eyeing her body. "I never had a Chinese girl before." He turned to the other three who were watching Sakura and Shinobu closely. "Make sure that no one sees us. You can have the other two."

At that moment, Chun Li attacked. She swatted the knife aside and landed two punches to the leader's face as Sakura pulled Shinobu to the side.

With the young girl being watched by Sakura, Chun Li let off some steam by using the would-be criminals as target practice. Quickly turning to the second man, Chun Li also landed several punches to the guy's face. Spinning around, she stretched out one leg and caught both of them with a powerful spinning back kick, sending them both to the ground.

Shinobu watched mesmerized as Chun Li continued to fight the four men.

Chun Li turned back to the other two, now that their friends were no longer any concern. She planted one foot into the other guy's solar plexus, sending him crashing through the restaurant's boarded doors, leaving only the leader. Still holding the knife in his hand, he lunged at the former Interpol agent, who simply punted the knife into the air and broke it with a well-aimed kick.

That was more than enough to tell the guy that running away was the best choice of action.

Unfortunately, he didn't get too far, since he skidded to a halt in front of a group of women dressed in white karate gis. Apparently, they had witnessed Chun Li's fighting abilities. The leader finished the guy off with a punch to the head.

"Male scum," the girl muttered, who didn't look that much older, probably around Motoko's age. She looked at Chun Li. "You're pretty good. You wouldn't have to know Motoko Aoyama by any chance, would you?"

"I am one of two acting landlords at the residence she is staying at," Chun Li replied. "What do you want with her? Who are you anyway?"

"I am Kitami Shinoda," Kitami introduced herself, "senior captain of the karate club. And we don't want her, we want the man who defeated her in a duel."

"I know him," Chun Li replied, not liking where this conversation is going. "He is my husband."

"And my sensei," Sakura added. "What do you want with him?"

"He has insulted the kendo club," Kitami replied, "and our school by defeating Aoyama in combat. He must pay for this injustice." She sized Chun Li up. "I have no quarrel with you. You seem like a rational woman and I will let you pass if you don't interfere."

Chun Li shook her head. "I can't. If you have any quarrel with my husband, then you have a problem with me."

"And me," Sakura butted in, gently pushing Shinobu to the side. "Find Ryu and get him over here as fast as you can."

Shinobu nodded and ran off.

Kitami sighed. "Too bad. I was hoping you would see reason. But you decided to side with the male. And you will be made an example before we go after your dear husband."

"Does Motoko know about this?" Chun Li asked.

"She will soon enough," Kitami replied matter-of-factly. "Get them!"

* * *

As the fight began, one of the female karate members made it to Haruka's teashop and was starting up the stairs when she saw Motoko coming down the stairs, dressed in casual clothes, since it was her day off from training. "Miss Aoyama!"

"What is it?" Motoko asked, obviously annoyed.

The female karateka bowed. "Aoyama-sempai, I have good news! Captian Shinoda will avenge your loss to the male."

Motoko blinked. "What do you mean?"

"She is currently fighting the male's wife and student," the woman replied.

Motoko visibly paled. Shinobu was there with Chun Li and Sakura and is she had gotten hurt...

"Motoko!"

The Shinmeiryu kendoist's chain of thought was interrupted when a breathless Shinobu came running around the corner before skidding to a halt. "Chun Li and Sakura are being attacked by a group of girls!" the young girl panted.

It was at that moment, Ryu, who was at the cafe, overheard Shinobu as he exited Haruka's shop. "What about my wife?" he asked, not sure he heard right.

The female karate fighter turned and faced Ryu. "You! Prepare to face justice!" She leapt at Ryu...

...only to have the Ansatsuken master grab her out of the air and pin her against the wall. Turning to Motoko he asked, "Did you know anything about this?" he demanded.

Motoko shook her head. "No! I would never put Chun Li and Sakura in danger like this."

Ryu tossed the girl to the ground. "Where are they?" Ryu demanded.

"Near the old restaurant," Shinobu replied. "It's not too far from here."

"Go inside the shop and wait for me there," Ryu ordered. He turned to Motoko. "I'll deal with you later," he said before he turned and ran off.

Motoko looked at the fallen karate fighter. "You dishonor yourself by doing this," she said before turning and running back up the stairs to Hinata House.

* * *

The Karate Club had swarmed the Chinese martial artist and the Japanese apprentice en masse. However, despite being one of the school's top martial arts teams, they had never faced the likes of Chun Li and Sakura.

Three of the girls were sent flying back from the impact of Chun Li's powerful kicks, knocking several of the charging girls over. One of them leapt into the air, foot outstretched in a jumping kick. However, Chun Li leapt into the air, grabbed the girl and flung her back to the ground.

Sakura, being Ryu's apprentice in Ansatsuken, showed that all of her training was not in vain. Her version of Ansatsuken was more eccentric than her master's traditional style, but still effective. Spinning low to the ground, foot outstetched, Sakura swept one girl to the ground and kicked her hard in the torso, propelling her to several of the other girls, knocking some of them over while a couple jumped over the sliding body.

The assault continued.

* * *

Motoko ran into her room. Rushing over to her sword rack, she quickly remembered that her sword was destroyed following her match with Ryu. Racing out of her room, she ran to the second floor and into the empty landlord's room. Ryu's sword was resting nearby, laid out on a sword rack which Ryu had recently crafted.

Without thinking twice, Motoko grabbed the sword and ran out of the landlord's room, praying to whatever gods listening, hoping that she wasn't too late.

* * *

Several minutes had passes since the assault had begun. A battered and bruised Chun Li and Sakura faced off, back-to-back against an equally battered Kitami and the karate club.

"What the hell is going on here?!" a familiar voice bellowed.

The karate club, Kitami, Chun Li and Sakura turned to the sight of a very furious Ryu storming down the street. "Who the hell are you?" he barked at Kitami, "and why are you attacking my wife and student?"

"It's you," Kitami said. "You're the one that defeated Aoyama!" She smiled coldly. "You came just in time to see your pathetic apprentice and your Chinese bitch pay for your trangressions."

She turned back to Chun Li...only to receive a solid punch to the face by the aforementioned former Interpol agent.

"Stay out of this, Ryu," Chun Li said in a cold tone. "I will handle this one myself." She turned to the others. "Anyone who interferes will deal with me."

The tone of her voice was dead serious and given the extensive injuries that the majority of the karate club had suffered, they knew damn well that the former Interpol agent can back up that threat.

Kitami nodded in approval. "Do as she says. This one is mine," she ordered her subordinates before turning to Ryu. "You get to watch as I take your wife apart. No one has beaten me."

"Just wait," Ryu retorted. "My wife is full of surprizes."

The two females faced off. Both Chun Li and Kitami went into their stances. Kitami saw that Chun Li had lowered her stance so that her hands were nearly at the same level as her waist. Kitami smirked to herself, taking it as a sign of weakness and moved in.

Big mistake.

It was a trick that she had learned from Fei Long. Lower your stance, and the opponent will attack. Only Ryu was smart enough not to fall for somehting that. Kitami was anything but, as she attacked with a roundhouse kick to Chun Li's face. The former Interpol agent swatted the blow aside, and landed a punch into Kitami's abdomen, which was followed by an elbow to the torso, forcing Kitami back.

She then caught Chun Li with a blow to the face and swept her to the ground. Chun Li rolled out of the way to avoid the incoming foot to the face. When Kitami lunged at the Chinese woman, Chun Li somersaulted over her and planted both feet into the back of Kitami's head, knocking her facedown on the ground, Kitami letting out a small cry as she landed hard on her knee.

"Seneshu!" Chun Li cried, flipping into a handstand before springing forward, leg first, aimed for Kitami's head. Out of reflex, Kitami rolled out of the way and Chun Li's foot made a small impact crater on the ground.

The fight between Chun Li Xiang and Kitami Shinoda continued as Motoko came onto the scene.

Even with an injured knee, Kitami fought on, landing several powerful shots on Chun Li, but the Wushu mistress had the upperhand, Kitami's head rocking left to right from her repeated kicks. Then Chun Li grabbed her, punched her in the gut and landed a right cross on her face, causing Kitami to spin a complete 360 degrees.

As Kitami stood stunned, Chun Li, eventhough her body was sore decided to finish this match. What she did next shocked even Motoko.

Chun Li lunged forward, kicking at Kitami with near-blinding speed, with her left leg, the rapid **KRACK-KRACK-KRACK** of foot meeting face and chest was evident. Then she switched to her right, also kicking at the same speed. Then she punted Kitami into the air with a perfect split kick, completeing the Hoyoukusen.

Kitami landed on the ground, at Motoko's feet. Eventhough she was defeated, Kitami was defiant. She looked up and saw Motoko looking down at her, unsheathed sword in hand. Kitami laughed, eventhough her ribs were sore beyond belief. "Motoko...you're here. I thought I tried to get revenge for you...for losing to the male, but the woman was too strong."

Motoko's grip on the sword tightened. "You have no right to interfere with my personal affairs, Shinoda," she replied coldly. "And you attacked two innocent women. My quarrel is with the male, not them."

"But...but..." Kitami sputtered.

"You attacked two innocent women," Motoko said in a cold tone. "And one of the residents of Hinata House was with them! Now what would had happened if Shinobu was attacked?! I've had enough of you, Shinoda. Hiken Zankuuzen!"

**WHAM!**

Motoko's ki attack met its mark, lifting Kitami cleanly off the ground and sending her crashing to the other battered Karate Club members. They knew when Motoko gets angry, her sword skills really come to light. They immediately took their wounded and retreated.

* * *

Back at Hinata House, Chun Li was getting her injuries treated by Ryu, while Suu and Shinobu were tending to Sakura. Upon finding out that the Karate Club had attacked both Chun Li and Sakura, Ken had demanded that the Karate Club apologize for this slight against his friends, or else the Masters Foundation would stop sponsoring the Karate Club.

"So they were looking for me?" Ryu asked as he applied some rubbing alcohol on Chun Li's busted lip. Both her and Ryu were in the landlord's room. Chun Li was on the futon, Ryu facing her as he worked on her injuries.

Chun Li winced slightly. "Ow. Yeah. They must have heard about your match with Motoko and came to take revenge."

There was a knock on the door. When Chun Li allowed the person to enter, it was Motoko, holding the sheathed sword in her hand. She kneeled down in front of the two landlords, placing the sword at her side.

"I did not know about this," Motoko said, bowing low. "Shinoda acted on her own. I am sorry that this had to happen and I hope you can forgive me for this."

After a long moment, Ryu spoke. "I believe you, Aoyama."

Motoko looked up. "What?"

"You are a warrior of honor, despite where your thoughts lie on the male gender," Ryu surmised. He looked at the sword beside her. "I see you found the Hina Blade to your liking."

Motoko blinked. "Hina Blade? This is the cursed blade of the Urashima family?"

"Was cursed. I had Master Gouken purify it." He pointed to his own weapon, which was leaning at the far corner of the desk. "I had the Hina Blade purified at Keitaro's request."

Motoko slowly picked up the blade. In her rush to aid Chun Li and Sakura, she failed to see the differences between Ryu's sword and the one she was holding in her hand. The sword was perfect in every way, not unlike her old sword. "I think I will hold on to this sword, for the time being," Motoko said, bowing one more time before leaving.

As she closed the door, she stopped for a moment and sighed. She was certain that Ryu was going to evict her, but this change of events had made her look at herself. 'Maybe Chun Li talked to him,' she thought. 'Or maybe not all men are not as evil as I once thought.'

As she continued to wrestle with herself, she walked back to her room. Changing out of her clothes and into her hakama, the Shinmeiryu heiress walked to the rooftop, sword in hand and after a week without training with a blade, resumed her thousand-strike training. 


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

A month passed since Ryu and Chun Li have taken over Hinata House. Since then, the dorm's appearance have begun to change for the better, thanks to Ryu's carpentry skills. However, to Naru, Motoko and Kitsune, it was as if the dorm had fallen under a virtual dictatorship. They refuse to admit that they had did anything wrong to Keitaro and had tried to abuse Ryu and Chun Li the way they did with Keitaro, but had failed miserably.

Mustumi and the three younger residents of Hinata House had no problem with the interim managers. But to Naru and Motoko, having to clean the house while Kitsune paid Keitaro back every piece of yen she had swindled and blackmailed from him was starting to become too much. On top of that the resident fox of Hinata House was also barred from drinking at Haruka's teashop, as well as some of the local bars in the neighborhood, due to the large bar tabs she rang up. Whenver Kitsune wasn't drunk, she would whine, which fell on deaf ears.

One day, Keitaro was studying in his room, which was on the third floor when he realized that he was missing a critical textbook from his studies. Upon realizing that the book he needed was in the landlord's room, he got up and walked out of the room. The dorm was mostly empty, save for Naru, who was in her room and Kitsune, who was nursing a hangover from drinking at the new bar and grill which had opened (surprizingly, she had paid for her tab).

When he reached the second floor, he ran into Chun Li outside the landlord's room. "Morning, Keitaro," she greeted him.

Keitaro nodded in greeting. "Good morning, Chun Li. I left a textbook for my exams in the landlord's room. Do you mind if I can go in and get it?"

"Go ahead," Chun Li replied.

Neither person knew that Naru was listening through the hole in the ceiling. At that moment, Naru decided that once Chun Li was out of the picture, then that perverted baka would have some explaining to do.

Meanwhile, outside, Keitaro continued to talk to Chun Li. "This place is looking a whole lot better."

"You can thank Ryu for that. He has a natural talent for carpentry. I helped though. Anyway, I won't keep you, Keitaro." Chun Li turned and walked away.

Keitaro walked into the room. After a few moments of rummaging through his desk, Keitaro found the study guide and exited the room. Naru, who was watching him leave, slid the board back and jumped down into the landlord's room.

She caught up with Keitaro halfway down the hall. "Stop right there, Keitaro."

Keitaro turned around. "What is it, Naru? I'm busy."

Naru marched up to Keitaro, anger being the dominant expression on the redhead's face. "What the hell were you thinking hiring Ryu and Chun Li as the landlords? You are supposed to be the landlord!"

Keitaro glared back at the woman, not showing any of his now-gone fear. "You got a lot of nerve to tell me what I should be doing, Naru. You are not in charge of this dorm. I am, and I stand by my decision."

"You saw what Ryu did to Motoko!" Naru half-shouted, remembering the duel. "He could have killed her! Why didn't you do something about that?!"

"Motoko had it coming sooner or later. Ryu should have knocked her out and then I wouldn't have to deal with you, Kitsune or that Kendo freak!" Keitaro shot back. "You three, in my opinion, are lucky that I decided to take a break. You and Motoko go on about how I should just leave this place, but I won't do that. You are tenants and I am the landlord, so I have the say over who stays and who goes. I should have evicted the lot of you months ago." Keitaro was now ranting. "You three are nothing but spoiled brats!"

"**You fucking bastard!**" Naru screamed, cocking one fist back and sent it hurling towards Keitaro.

What happened next was something that Naru wasn't expecting.

Keitaro raised his hand, knocking the Naru-punch to the side. When she tried to punch him again, Keitaro grabbed her wrist. In the back of his mind, he was thankful of the self-defense tricks that Haruka had taught him.

"I've had it up to here with your crap, Narusegawa," Keitaro said. "You're violent and mean, and you basically treat me as your personal punching bag after I bend over backwards to keep the dorm running and the tenants happy! You, Motoko, or Kitsune don't even lend a helping hand or even give me a 'thank-you!' I've had it! If you **ever** lay a hand on me again, I will personally throw you out of this dorm!"

Naru pulled her other fist back, preparing to eject Keitaro from the dorm herself.

However, a hand reached out, catching Naru's fist in an iron grip.

Not really thinking, Naru wrenched her other hand free from Keitaro, spun around and clocked the person who interfered. Much to her horror, her fist glanced off of Chun Li's face, rocking her head to the side, drawing blood from her lip.

Apparently, Chun Li had heard the argument from upstairs and went to investigate. Now, she was mad as hell. Her hands balled into fists as a vein pulsed in her head. Keitaro backed away from the older woman, and good timing too, since...

"Why you little..." Chun Li hissed through clenched teeth as she made her move.

**KA-POW!**

Chun Li didn't miss. The Uppercut From Hell caught Naru squarely in the jaw, snapping Naru's head back and propelling her into the air. Chun Li quickly followed with a powerful kick that sent her through Kitsune's door.

Kitsune, who was aroused from her nap by the argument, was now fully awake when Naru was sent flying through her door, followed by a furious Chun Li. Naru landed amongst the destroyed door, but Chun Li was already upon her. Grabbing the redheaded ronin by her hair, Chun Li pulled her to her feet and pinned her to the wall, one arm painfully twisted behind her back. Kitsune tried to intervene, but a death glare from Chun Li froze her in her tracks.

"I'm only going to say this once so listen up and listen good," Chun Li hissed, one hand holding Naru's arm while the other had a handful of her hair. "If you attack Keitaro **one more time**, and I hear about it, I will throw you out to the streets myself. I also got connections with the Tokyo police force here and I will personally see to it that you are arrested and tossed into the deepest hole on this side of the Pacific!" She pulled on Naru's hair, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Assault in the first degree, reckless endagerment, destruction of private property, attempted murder, attempted manslaughter," Chun Li continued. "I can go on. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll be an old woman by the time you get out of jail. Do you understand me?"

"YES!" Naru screamed, the pain now unberable.

Chun Li threw Naru to the floor, the latter whimpering as she held her sore arm as she scampered back. "Ungrateful little bitch," Chun Li muttered as she stormed out of the room.

* * *

Several days had passed since Naru's confrontation with Keitaro and Chun Li. Since then, Naru has been avoiding Chun Li like the plague. The confrontation between the female landlord had been a rude awakening for her. No one had decked her like that before. Since then, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune had been conspiring to get rid of the two landlords by force. Unfortunately, their last plans had backfired, so the only choice they had was to stick out the remaining month, and once the month was over, Keitaro would return.

Motoko, despite her respect for Chun Li, still thought that Ryu had enchanted her into following his orders, but that was anything but. One thing that was for certain, Keitaro Urashima will have a lot to ask for once the two months were over.

* * *

Naru was outside again, sweeping the stone walkway. The bruise from Chun Li's blows were healed, but the hatred for the Chinese martial artist was evident on her face. Inside the house, the voices of Keitaro, Haitani, Shirai and Kentaro were heard, laughing and talking among each other which inflamed Naru even further.

Motoko came from around the house, while Kitsune came from the Tea Shop with Haruka. Apparently, Haruka had heard about the incident with Chun Li and as usual, did nothing. "You had it coming," Haruka had told Naru, shrugging her shoulders.

"I told you, Kitsune," Haruka was saying. "It's out of my hands. I'm not the manager here. Although to tell you the truth, I'm actually impressed with my nephew."

"Impressed?" Kitsune repeated. "Granny Hina was a better landlord than your nephew."

Haruka turned to Kitsune upon reaching the landing. "That is a matter of opinion. But you, as well as Naru and Motoko have to realize that eventhough Keitaro is on the clumsy side, you can't go abusing and blackmailing him. You should have realized that despite the fact that Keitaro may forgive easily, but even he has a breaking point. If any case, you three got off lucky. Keitaro was considering throwing you three out and filing charges against the three of you. And to tell you the truth, I really don't blame him."

With that said, Haruka walked into the house. Naru and Motoko watched her departing figure. "Even Haruka has turned against us," Motoko said.

Naru huffed. "That perverted baka wouldn't have the guts to call the cops on us. After all the times he peeked on us, the cops are more liable to arrest him before us!"

"But he did show leniency in getting those two to act as our landlords," Motoko pointed out. "Maybe Haruka does have a point in us pushing Urashima over the edge. He may be a perverted male, but the last thing I want to do is go back to Kyoto in disgrace."

Before Kitsune could say something, someone interrupted their impromptu war council meeting.

"Excuse me, is this the Hinata House?" a accented voice asked in Japanese.

The three girls turned to the source of the voice. Two more women were standing there. The first had long brown hair, tied in a bun with several bangs hanging over their face. She had a body in which Kitsune could match, while the other girl had short chestnut brown hair which framed her face, and a petite figure. Both were dressed in black tanktops, combat fatigues and boots. The girls also noticed the red metal gauntlets on their arms.

"It is," Kitsune replied. "You two looking to rent a room?"

The brunette shook her head. "Actually, we came to see Ryu Hoshi and Chun Li Xiang. We came to settle up with them in battle."

Almost immediately, the three girls' faces were alight. "Really? They've put us through hell this past month and a half," Naru said.

Motoko nodded. "I agree. Although I have nothing against Chun Li, maybe upon defeating them, we can final throw them out of this dorm."

"And I can finally bring my sake back to the dorm," Kitsune said with relief.

The petite woman chuckled lightly. "You misunderstand, miss. We are not here to help you throw them out. We are here to kill them."

That stopped the three girls cold. Eventhough she disliked them, killing them was a bit extreme, even to Naru. "Run that by us again?"

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," the brunette said. "I am Juli."

"And I am Juni," the shorthaired girl replied.

Naru and Kitsune paled. They have heard these names from Ryu and Chun Li before. At that moment, Haruka came out of the dorm. "What's going on?" she demanded.

Naru turned to Haruka. "Haruka, we got problems!"

Juli sighed. "Oh, dear. We came only for Ryu and Chun Li, but this changes things. You know what we look like and you know what our intentions are. I'm sorry, but we can't leave no witnesses." The look on her face chilled Naru to the bones. "All of you must die."

Before Haruka could say anything, she saw Suu and Sara from their place on the roof, and immediately knew what they was planning. "Sara, Suu, no!"

Too late. Suu and Sara was already in the air, Suu's foot outstretched in a diving kick, heading for Juni, while Sara had a clay artifact raised over her head. To the girls and Haruka's horror, Juni merely countered by performing a vicious Thrust Kick, knocking the Molmolian princess back, while Sara was decked by Juni.

Haruka turned to Kitsune while Naru and Motoko attacked. "Find Ryu and Chun Li! Now!"

Kitsune rushed inside. Meanwhile, Naru charged in and threw a Super Naru Punch at Juli. Juli merely parried the blow and backhanded the ronin, sending her to the ground. Motoko, armed with a bokken attempted a Hikken Zankuusen on Juni, who leapt over the attack, landing behind Motoko. Motoko felt Juni's hands wrap around her waist before she was suplexed onto the hard stone pathway.

With Naru down, Haruka and Motoko attacked. As long as she had known the female Urashima, Motoko had suspected that Haruka had martial arts training, and seeing her fight had verified it.

* * *

Kitsune found Ryu and Chun Li inside the changing room. The pair had just finished their bath together and were fully dressed, Ryu in a black tanktop and white gi pants while Chun Li wore her one-piece tracksuit. when Kitsune came running in.

"What do you want, Konno?" Ryu demanded.

"There's two women outside," Kitsune replied, out of breath. "They want to kill you!"

"That's nothing new," Chun Li replied shrugging her shoulders. "What's their names?"

"Juli and Juni," Kitsune said. "Motoko and Haruka are fighting them."

The couple's reaction was automatic. "Get everyone inside and call the police," Ryu ordered. "We'll handle this." They rushed towards the common room, where Keitaro and the others were watching the battle from the safety of the common area. Thankfully, Mutsumi had fainted earlier and was stretched out on the couch.

Keitaro at the moment, saw the downed Suu and Sara. He started to rush out, but was held back by Sakura. "Keitaro, no! Let Ryu and Chun Li deal with this!"

Before Keitaro could reply, Naru's unconscious form was sent flying through the sliding door, crashing into both the vacationing manager and the Ansatsuken trainee. Ryu and Chun Li moved out of the way as the three slid across the floor. The two assassins were still fighting Motoko and Haruka as Chun Li and Ryu stepped outside.

* * *

Haruka may have been trained by Hina, but Juli and had the upper hand. Motoko had her bokken broken by Juni and was knocked back. Before Juni could attack Haruka, Ryu came in with a hard jump kick to the face, knocking her back. Distracted, Juni saw Ryu's arrival and Chun Li came in with a vicious right cross, knocking Juli back.

Chun Li looked at the downed girls, especialy Suu and Sara. "They...are...only...**children**!" she yelled.

Without turning to Haruka, Ryu said, "Get the girls inside and stay there. Leave this to us."

Haruka nodded and with the help of Motoko, had taken Suu and Sara back into the house, closing and locking the door behind them.

Juni shrugged her shoulders. "Children or not, it makes no difference to us. Civilian casualties are a way of life. You should have seen this coming, Inspector," she said, addressing Chun Li by her Interpol title.

"You took everything from us," Juli continued. "Our father is gone. Everything that we ever knew is gone."

"Bison is not your father," Ryu replied coldly. "You attacked innocent people."

"Innocent?" Juni scoffed. "When we kill them, as well as the both of you, it will serve as a reminder to all who crossed those whose ties are with Shadowlaw."

The four went into their fighting stances; Chun Li squaring off against Juli while Juni faced Ryu.

Then the battle began.

In perfect synch, Juli and Juni charged at their opponents. Juli went high with a Sniping Arrow, while Juni went low with a Spiral Arrow. Chun Li ducked while Ryu flipped over the attacks. Spinning back around, they saw that Juli and Juni had both recovered and were closing in. Knowing full well that they would attack first, Ryu and Chun Li went on the defensive.

* * *

Inside Hinata House, Shinobu was on the phone with the police while the battle continued outside. "Yes. Hinata House, Hinata City, Kanagawa. Please hurry." She hung up the phone and turned to the others. Mutsumi was still passed out on the couch while Keitaro, Kitsune and Haruka tended to a whimpering Suu and Sara. Naru was still out cold and Sakura was keeping an eye on her.

Haitani and Shirai looked outside and saw the fight. "Whoa! Who's the two foreign babes fighting Ryu and Chun Li?" Shirai asked.

Haruka grabbed both boys by the back of their necks and pulled them back. "Stay inside, if you want to live to see tomorrow," Haruka sternly ordered, a fresh cigarette hanging from her lips. She looked like hell, and neither boy was going to argue with her.

Motoko, in the meantime, had left the common room, heading up the stairs toward her room.

* * *

Outside, Ryu and Chun Li were fighting not only for themselves, but for the lives of those inside Hinata House. Ryu knew that Chun Li could take care of herself, allowing him to completely focus on Juni.

The Ansatsuken fighter winced slightly as he blocked a blow from the shorthaired assassin, the heavy gauntlets striking against his arms. He would definitely have bruises from those when this fight was over.

Juli, in the meantime, had leapt into the air, wrapping her legs around Chun Li's head. Using her leg strength, the former Shadowlaw assassin flung Chun Li across the stone pathway, causing the former Interpol agent to land hard on the ground. Luckily, she missed the stone path, otherwise, something would have definitely been broken.

'They've gotten better,' Chun Li thought as Juli closed in. The Chinese martial artist rolled out of the way, avoiding Juli's boot, the foot higgint ground where Chun Li's head was at moments earlier. Chun Li then knocked the brunette off her feet with a power foot sweep. Once Juli was on her back, Chun Li spun around again, this time catching her across her face with her other foot.

Juni, in the meantime, was behind Ryu. Wrapping her arms around Ryu's waist, she attempted to suplex him, but Ryu, having been suplexed one too many times (mostly by Guile), reacted automatically. Ryu snapped his elbow back, catching Juni full in the face. When Juni released her hold on him, Ryu spun around, only to be knocked to the stone path by the Thrust Kick.

As Juni flipped back to the ground, she saw that Ryu had gotten back to his feet. She was helpless for his next move.

"Shouryuken!"

Ryu didn't miss. The Dragon Punch knocked the air out of Juni as the Japanese fighter's fist slammed into the petite's woman torso, knocking her back.

Juli looked up and saw her partner being knocked back. Bad move on her part, for when she turned back to Chun Li...

"Spinning Bird Kick!"

Juli's head was rocked to the side as Chun Li flipped into a handstand, legs stretched out in a perfect split, spinning, her outstretched feet catching Juni in the face several times. One, two, three, four, five times before spinning to the ground.

* * *

From her posistion on the second floor, Motoko, having retrieved the Hina Blade, watched as the fight continued. As she continued to watch the two interim landlords fight the would-be assassins, she was thinking to herself.

'They would risk their lives for us. This is what Oneesan was talking about. This is what she meant by telling me that the highest of distinctions is service towards others.'

Knowing full well that Haruka would stop her should she try the front entrance, Motoko quicky went through the back door, thus bypassing the elder Urashima and the others.

* * *

Outside, the battle continued as the residents of Hinata House watched from inside.

As they watched the battle, they saw Ryu slowly gaining the upper hand on Juni. The Ansatsuken master and Juni traded blows, but even with the gauntlets on, it wasn't enough for Juli to topple Ryu.

Having enough of the gauntlets Ryu caught Juni's right fist and yanked the gauntlet off, before doing the same with her left hand when she tried to punch him. Holding the gauntlet in one hand, Ryu backhanded Juni with it, and Juni responded with another roundhouse kick to his face. Ryu came back with a punch which caused Juni to stagger. Juni quickly shook it off and attacked Ryu, trying to catch him in the face, but Ryu caught her fist with one hand, kicked her in the gut, then flipped her over, the petite woman landing on her ass.

Ryu decided that it was time to finish this little dance. He felt his ki surge into his fists, his veins pulsing in his arms as he moved in for the kill. Juni hopped to her feet, and saw Ryu coming, but it was too late.

"Shin..."

**Crack.**

Juni felt her ribs break from the monstrous impact of Ryu's right fist slamming into her right side.

**Crunch. **

The petite woman's eyes bulged as she coughed up blood as Ryu's other fist slammed into her other side. "Sho...ryu...**KEN**!"

**KRACK! **

Ryu's fist met Juni's jaw, propelling her into the air. Ryu landed on his feet while Juni landed on her back, moaning, holding her sides. She was out for the count.

Meanwhile, Chun Li was on the offensive. Juli had came at her with another Sniping Arrow. Chun Li, however, jumped straight up, legs stretched into a vertical split, the outstretched foot catching the brunette full in the face, knocking her to the ground. That didn't stop Juli, as she was back on her feet and attacked Chun Li once again. But the former Interpol agent was now on the offensive.

Punches to the face, followed by a volley of kicks anywhere there was an opening. Chun Li then concluded the assault with a vertical split kick which launched Juli into the air. It was all the time Chun Li needed for...

"Kikou...**shou**!!"

Chun Li unleashed a concentrated, yet incredibly powerful ki blast, which caught Juli and sent her flying not too far where Juni was still moaning on the ground.

As Chun Li looked at her handiwork, Ryu approached her. Nearly out or reflex, Chun Li tried to deck him, but Ryu caught her wrist. "Calm down. It's only me," he said. "Are you okay?"

Chun Li nodded. She was bruised, and Ryu looked no better than she did. "I'm fine."

What they didn't notice was Juli staggering to her feet. They did, however, heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked and turned. Juli was holding a pistol, aimed at the victorious couple. With the way she had it aime, the shot would have been lethal.

Ryu held onto Chun Li and spun so that he would be the one to take the bullet. Instead, fate intervened.

"Hiken Zankuusen!"

Juli was struck by a massive wall of ki energy, which lifted her off the ground and sent her slamming into the side of a tree, the gun clattering across the stone pathway. Motoko had arrived just in time to see the final moments of the battle. She saw that Juli was going to gun down the couple in cold blood, and quickly reacted.

The couple looked at the fallen Dolls, then at Motoko, still gripping the Hina Blade in her hand, and realized what had happened. The Shinmeiryu heiress had saved them both.

The battle was over. Hinata House was safe.

* * *

The police, as well as Interpol was on the scene. Juni was taken to the hospital under heavy guard, while Juli was led away in handcuffs. Inside the common room, Ryu, Chun Li and the others were getting their wounds treated by the medics.

It was there they received an unexpected guest. A petite woman, with blonde hair twisted into pigtails.

"Good to know that you two are still on top of your game," Cammy White remarked dryly as she stood before the battered couple, arms folded.

"You're working for Interpol now?" Chun Li asked.

Cammy shook her head. "Actually, I was working with them in trying to track the Dolls down. When I found out that they were coming after you, I took the earliest flight down here. Looks like I missed the reunion." She looked around. "I thought you were opening up a dojo."

"We are," Ryu replied as a medic worked on bandaging his arm. "This is only temporary."

"Anyway, I'm glad you two are okay," Cammy replied. "Do you know how much papaerwork this saves me? You do know that the police and the I.C.P.O. needs your statements, right?"

Chun Li nodded. "I know the drill. We'll give it to them tomorrow."

After Cammy had left, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune entered the room. With the exception of Kitsune, Naru and Motoko were bandaged up. Ryu looked at the trio. "What is it now?"

Naru spoke up. "We...we owe you two an apology. We've been acting like complete jerks ever since you showed up. And today...even after all that we've put you two through, you defended us. You saved our lives."

Ryu shrugged his shoulders. "It was the right thing to do."

Naru turned to Chun Li and extended her hand. "Truce?"

Chun Li shook it. "Truce."

With that, things have finally calmed down at Hinata House. For the moment, anyway. Nevertheless, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune had learned a valuable lesson in humility and sacrifice. one that will change how they treat their manager upon his return.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Several days had passed since Juli and Juni's assassination attempt on Ryu, Chun Li and the residents of Hinata House. Since then, the girls have seen Ryu and Chun Li in a new light. The hatred was gone now, replaced by a degree of mutual respect and admiration for the interim managers, haing put their lives at risk to save their own.

The two months were nearly over, but the residents of Hinata House were in for one more surprise.

* * *

There was one more week left in Ryu and Chun Li's tenure as managers of Hinata House. The place was looking much better now, thanks to the repairs done by Ryu and Chun Li. Right now, Chun Li was sweeping the stone pathway when she noticed the odd-looking bird perched on the tree. It looked like a Japanese crane, but one that she had never seen before.

Then she noticed the woman walking up the stairs. She was taller than her, her hair was slightly longer and the face was partially concealed by her round straw hat. Chun Li took notice of the wedding ring on her finger and the two swords she was carrying in her hands. She was also dressed in the same type of hakama that Motoko usually wears.

The crane began to squak until its mistress silenced the foul. "Shippu! That's enough out of you." She turned to the Chinese fighter. "My apologies. Shippu can be a handful at times. I am looking for the Hinata House."

"You found it," Chun Li replied. "What's your business here?"

"I came to visit my sister," the women replied as she removed her hat. From there, the resemblance was more than enough for Chun Li. "She is a resident here. I am her sister, Tsuruko Aoyama." She looked at Chun Li closely. "I was told that the landlord of Hinata House was a man."

"Keitaro is taking a break from his landlord duties," Chun Li replied with the same courtesy. "My husband and I are acting landlords."

Tsuruko inclined her head. "Your husband...wouldn't happen to be Ryu Hoshi?"

"He is. I'm Chun Li Xiang." Chun Li replied, bowing slightly.

The Shinmeiryu mistress responded with a bow of her own. "Motoko told me about you. She spoke very highly of you."

Chun Li nodded. "Pleasure to meet you. So what brings you to Hinata?"

Tsuruko gestured to one of the swords in her hand. "I came to visit Motoko, of course. And to bring to her a replacement sword."

Chun Li gestured to the dorm. "Motoko is just inside. Please follow me."

As Chun Li lead Tsuruko to the front door, the shoji door opened and out stepped the aforemtioned sister of Tsuruko Aoyama. She just completed her training session and after a bath and a change of clothes, she was about to head out for a walk around the grounds before dinner when she stopped.

Chun Li was walking with Tsuruko.

"O-Oneesan?!" Motoko gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Tsuruko tossed Motoko her new sword. "I came by to check up on you. Shin and I are visiting his parents in Tokyo. I decided to come here. I hope you like your new sword."

Motoko quickly got over her shock and bowed to her sister. "Thank you, Oneesan."

Then Ryu showed up from the front door, with Sakura behind him. Like a good mentor, Ryu was explaining to his student the finer points of Ansatsuken Shinjitsu.

Then he stopped when he noticed Tsuruko with both her sister and Chun Li. "I was wondering when you were going to show up, Tsuruko," he quipped. "You look well."

"And you, as well," Tsuruko replied with the same courtesy. "It's been a long time, Ryu." She looked at Sakura. "Your student?"

Ryu conducted the introductions. "Tsuruko, my student, Sakura Kasugano. Sakura, Tsuruko Aoyama, Motoko's older sister and master of the Shinmeiryu style."

Sakura bowed in greeting while Tsuruko nodded in reply before turning back to Ryu. "We have a lot to discuss, Ryu."

"We do," Ryu replied. "Come inside. Shinobu should have dinner ready in a few minutes."

* * *

Inside, the gathered residents of the Hinata House Co-ed Dormitory were seated at the table. Even Keitaro showed up for dinner. The dining atmosphere was more easygoing then it was once the place was declared a co-ed dorm.

"The last time I was here," Tsuruko said, "this place was a girls' dorm."

"I changed it into a co-ed dormitory," Keitaro replied.

"I thought you were the manager here. Why is Ryu and Chun Li acting as managers?"

"I asked them to, after the girls took advantage of my kindness once too many," Keitaro replied.

Tsutuko turned to Motoko. "Is that true?"

Motoko flinched under Tsuruko's gaze. "Yes, Oneesan. Even I took part in this. He did everything to make us happy and all we ever did was abuse him for it. Even me with our school's techniques."

"Not only did Keitaro asked me and Ryu to take over for a couple of months," Chun Li continued, "but we also did the repairs for the dorm."

"We did everything we could to get them out of here," Motoko confessed. "But then, assassins came, wanting to kill them and all of us inside. They saved our lives, and I saved theirs in return."

Tsuruko studied Motoko for a long moment. For a second Motoko thought that Tsuruko was going to cast her out of the clan. Instead, Tsuruko said, "You finally understand, Motoko."

That caught Motoko off guard. "Huh?"

"You finally learned some humility," Tsuruko replied. "You're finally getting that all men are not perverted. Maybe you will be worthy enough to take on the role of Shinmeiryu shihan when the time comes." Tsuruko turned to Ryu. "So...you were responsible for destroying Motoko's sword, right?"

"I did," Ryu replied. "Motoko doesn't take losing all too well."

"I am aware of that," Tsuruko replied. "I'm also aware that you've been keeping in pratice with your swordplay."

Ryu knew where this was going. "Are you challenging me to a rematch, Tsuruko?" When she nodded, Ryu smiled. "Very well. I need one hour to prepare. Outside at the annex."

* * *

It was nighttime when Ryu appeared at the scene of the battle. Instead of his white karate gi, he was dressed in a white-and-blue-grey hakama. The jacket was white, the sleeves rolled to his elbows while the split pants were blueish gray. His pants were held together by his black belt and his red headband was around his head, as always, as were his fighting gloves. A pair of leather sandals were on his feet and his sword was in his hand, gripped by the scabbard.

Tsuruko, with her own katana and clad in her hakama, faced off against Ryu as Chun Li, Sakura and the others watched. "I've waited a long time for this moment, Ryu," Tsuruko said. "You are the only person I consider my equal in the ways of the sword."

"You mean I'm the only person that broke your winning streak?" he asked.

Tsuruko smiled. "That too." She turned around, her back facing Ryu. "There's something in me that makes me feel like a true warrior again. maybe it's because of you, Ryu. whatever it is, I don't care." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I have never seen someone with clear eyes like you. Are you ready?"

Ryu's hand slowly moved to his sword. "Ready."

"Good." With that, Tsuruko Aoyama somersaulted towards Ryu, unsheating her sword in mid-air. Ryu just as quickly unsheated his own sword as Tsuruko came out on the offensive.

Two masters in the way of the sword, clashed. Tsuruko, as with her style, went on the offensive, not using any ki attacks, but rather straight technique. Ryu countered and defended against Tsuruko's attacks, backpedalling as Tsuruko was aggressively advancing on him.

Blade crashed against blade as Ryu and Tsuruko spun, parried and defended, this time, Ryu forcing Tsuruko on the defensive, the battle leading to the recently-exorcised annex. Chun Li quickly opened the door as the battling Ryu and Tsuruko went through, with the audience following at a safe distance.

On the first floor, the match continued. Tsuruko gained the upper hand by disarming Ryu, sending his sword clattering to the floor. Before the Shinmeiryu master could capitalize, Ryu responded in kind by disarming her and flipping her to the ground. Rolling to her feet, Tsuruko charged at the Ansatsuken fighter, leaping into the air and planting both feet into Ryu's face, knocking him down. Ryu quickly recovered and with a quick spinning back kick, sent Tsuruko spinning to the ground, near her sword. She grabbed it and by the time she got to her feet, Ryu had recovered his own blade.

They resumed their assault, blocking, parrying, swinging their blades without abandon until they gained speed. Then they locked their blades. Tsuruko, knowing that Ryu clearly had the strength advantage, kicked him in the stomach, forcing him back. She then landed another kick to his torso, forcing him up the steps. Ryu then locked his blade with Tsuruko's once again and backhanded her, knocking her back as he moved towards the stairs.

The battle moved to the second floor of the annex. Ryu and Tsuruko were careful enough not to use their ki attacks. Mainly because they would cause massive damage to the annex, as well as placing the lives of Keitaro and the others at risk.

Ryu was on the offensive, as he lashed out at Tsuruko, the Shinmeiryu mistress playing hard defense. Before long, the two were fighting on the roof. As the audience watched from the ground, they saw that Ryu held the high ground.

However, as Tsuruko came charging after him, something unexpected happened.

She lost her footing and started to fall from the roof.

As Motoko screamed out her sister's name, Ryu tossed his sword to the side and without thinking of his own safety, dove over the edge after Tsuruko. One hand caught the roof's edge while the other caught Tsuruko by her own hand.

Their swords, however, fell to the ground. Eventhough the battle was over, there was the matter of Ryu and Tsuruko hanging from the roof's annex. Using his arm, Ryu pulled Tsuruko to the ledge until she was able to climb up by herself. Once she was safely on the ledge, Ryu followed.

Both fighters were catching their breaths. The battle, as well as Tsuruko's neat-death experience had taken a lot out of them.

"I think...we'll call this one a draw," Ryu panted.

Tsuruko nodded. "I agree. You've improved."

"So did you."

* * *

After things had calmed down, Tsuruko left the building. The last week went on without anymore incidents, until finally, Ryu and Chun Li gave back their authority to Keitaro. Promising to keep in touch, Ryu, Sakura, and Chun Li left Hinata House.

However, once Keitaro was back in control, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune thought that things would go back to before Ryu and Chun Li took over.

As they found out one day, they were completely wrong.

* * *

It hadn't been three days since Ryu and Chun Li left Hinata House when Naru, Motoko and Kitsune confronted Keitaro inside his room. The manager was scribbling down notes in the dorm's ledger when the three girls came into his room without knocking. Keitaro looked up from the ledger and saw the girls standing before him. He knew that things would relapse back to how they once were and he prepared for it.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Naru looked down on the manager. "The floors need mopping and you need to clean the hot springs."

"And I need some sake," Kitsune said. "Lots and lots of sake."

"And since Shinobu had done the laundry, I need my uniform taken to the cleaners," Motoko added.

"No."

That shot all three girls down. "What?" Naru asked.

Keitaro stood up. "I said no. Just because Ryu and Chun Li are no longer here doesn't mean things will go back the way it once was. Those days are over."

"It's the manager's job to keep this place clean!" Naru objected.

"No. You all live here, so it falls to all of us," Keitaro replied. "I am the manager of this dorm, not some damn house slave."

"You are out of line, Urashima," Motoko threatened, her hand slowly reaching for her katana. "I agree with Narusegawa. It is the landlord's responsiblity to maintain the dorm. And when will you change the dorm back into a girls' dorm?"

"That change is permanent," Keitaro replied as he pulled three items from the ledger. "As I told Naru, you three are in no position to tell me what I should be doing or how I should run this dorm. You got a problem with how I run things, then that's tough." When it appeared that Motoko and Naru would try to lunge at him, Keitaro used his trump card. When Naru and Motoko closed in on him, Keitaro pulled out three folded pink sheets of paper and showed them to the three girls, causing Naru and Motoko to stop in their tracks. 

The sheets of paper had the same thing written on them in both Japanese kanji and English: **NOTICE OF EVICTION**.

And each one had their names on them, neatly typed in kanji and English as well.

"You know what these are, right?" Keitaro asked cooly. "Sure you do. These are your eviction notices." He paused to gauge their reactions. They were exactly what he was looking for. "This is how it's going to be, ladies. We get along fine and act civilized, you can continue to stay." His voice dropped to a serious tone as he gave them their first and only warning. "But...if you blackmail me, assault me or cause any kind of damage to this dorm, I will evict you and have you arrested."

"You're bluffing," Motoko said. "You won't evict us, Urashima."

Keitaro turned to Motoko. "You think I'm bluffing? Feel free to call my bluff. Of course, what would Tsuruko think if her sister and heir to the Shinmeiryu School continued to assault her manager. She would disown you." He sat back down. "As far as I'm concerned, you three have one foot out of the door for the hell you put me through. I can't even trust you anymore. You got to prove it to me that I can trust you once again. Are we clear?"

All three girls nodded.

Keitaro smiled. "Good. Now get out of my room."

* * *

-Several years later...-

Ryu and Chun Li were walking up the stairs to Hinata House. Along with them was their two children, ages 4 and 5. The older child, a boy, was walking up the stairs with his parents, while his sleeping sister was being carried by her father.

In the four years after Ryu and Chun Li's tenure as Hintata House managers, their school had became a huge success. With Sakura teaching classes, as well as Yun and Yang (Chun Li called them in from Hong Kong), Ryu and Chun Li spent more time raising their children, teaching classes four days out of the week. Of course, Ryu remained friends with the Urashima family, and gave out advice to Keitaro. Shinobu had also formed a close bond with Chun Li, who taught her how to cook Chinese dishes, much to Suu's delight, since she had picked up a passionate affinity for Chun Li's cooking.

Since their departure as managers, things have calmed down around Hinata City. Keitaro wasn't launched into L.E.O. anymore, mainly because he threatened Naru and Motoko with eviction. Of course, he still had to chastise Suu for her inventions, but even that calmed down somewhat.

As the family walked up the stairs, the son asked his father, "Why are we visiting Uncle Keitaro, Dad?"

"Keitaro is getting married, Takashi," Ryu replied. "He invited us to the wedding."

"Eww...yucky stuff!" Takashi said, making a face. "Girls are gross...except for Lynn," he amended, looking at his sleeping sister.

"Did Keitaro say anything about who he was getting married to?" Chun Li asked.

"He didn't say," Ryu replied. "I know that's it's not Naru, since she blew her chances with him long ago. Motoko is out, since she tried to kill him with her ki attacks. And Kitsune would bankrupt him with her gambling habits."

"I'm still surprized to see that those three are still here," Chun Li said.

"When your manager threatens to evict you and have you arrested, then you would play nice too," Ryu mildly replied.

In the five years that had passed, Keitaro, as well as Naru and Mutsumi, had been accepted into Tokyo University. Keitaro had graduated a year before the other two on a History major, thanks to Seta. Mustumi had gotten a nursing degree while Naru had majored in Education, having decided to become a teacher. In the meantime, Motoko was pursuing a degree in law (at Chun Li's suggestion, due to the Shinmeiryu School becoming a national landmark), as well as becoming a writer under an alias, writing raunchy love stories.

Kitsune was now the co-owner of the Hinata Tea Shop, now that Haruka had finally gotten hitched to Seta. Shinobu and Suu were both Todai freshmen. With Sakura tutoring them, they both passed the entrance exams with flying colors, the young Maehara deciding to pursue a double major in Business and Culinary arts, while Suu was taking on an Advanced engineering degree. Sara was attending high school and would enter Tokyo University upon graduating.

As they reached the landing, a scream was heard from inside the dorm, followed by the sounds of a chase in progress. The front door abruptly opened and a girl came running out, hiding behind the couple as the girls of Hinata came running out.

"Help me!" the girl yelled as she hid behind Ryu.

The girls in question, which were Naru, Suu and Motoko, stopped when they saw the girl hiding behind the couple and their children. "Um...what's going on here?" Ryu asked. "And who are you?" he asked the girl hiding behind him. Takashi was making faces at the older girls from the safety of his mother.

"Maeda," the girl replied. "Ema Maeda." Ryu saw that she was holding what appeared to be a bridal veil in one hand as the girl babbled out an explaination. "I...I was looking at the wedding dress. I didn't mean to take the veil..."

"It's okay," Ryu replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here because I heard that if you live inside Hinata House, then your dreams will come true," Ema replied. "I never expected this!"

While Chun Li was scolding the girls, Ryu reassured the young girl. "It's okay. I wasn't expecting this either when Chun and I took the job of interim managers some years back." he looked at the girls. They may act crazy, but they will look out for you."

Once everything was calmed down, everyone went inside. As the door closed, Ryu asked Motoko, "So who is Keitaro marrying tomorrow?"

END.


	13. Alternative Ending Part One

Notes: With Keitaro's wedding, this is the end of Fight Hina. I purposely left out who Keitaro was getting hitched to so that you can draw your own conclusions. However, what if Keitaro had said no to Ryu's offer and took matters into his own hands? The lives of everyone living in Hinata House would forever be changed. This alternative ending in in two parts. Part One deals with what Keitaro does to Naru, Motoko and Kitsune, and Part Two is the fallout of Keitaro's decision.

Alternate Ending - Part One

Inside the kitchen, over a pot of tea, Keitaro opened himself up to the couple. He told them everything from his past failures on the Toudai exams, being used as a scapegoat and everything in between.

"I guess I really can't blame you for how you feel," Chun Li noted. "You're the manager. Why didn't you call the cops on them, or had them evicted a long time ago?"

"He sees the good in the bad," Ryu explained. "Young Urashima has always sacrificed so much and asked for nothing in return." He turned to Keitaro. "It looks like you're reached the breaking point, Keitaro. You need a vacation."

"I appreciate the offer, Ryu," Keitaro replied, "but I have to deal with this my way." He sighed. "It shouldn't have to come to this, but it has to be done." He walked over to the phone. "Hello. Tokyo Police Department...yes, I would like to file criminal charges on the following three persons..."

* * *

Sagassi Seminar

After knocking Keitaro to the other side of Kanagawa, Naru had left for prep school. Upon arriving at her cram school, she saw that Keitaro was already waiting for her on the front steps of the school. Instead of bowing to her begging for forgiveness, the expression on her landlord's face was anything but.

Keitaro waited until she approached him. "Baka, you were supposed to clean the hotsprings today, not to mention fix the hole you made in my room," she scolded.

Keitaro scoffed. "I got some bad news for you, Narusegawa."

Naru was taken aback slightly by the tone in Keitaro's voice. It was formal and cold. Seeing that he had her attention, Keitaro took out a folded sheet of paper and handed it to Naru.

The paper had the following letters and kanji written on it: **NOTICE OF EVICTION: NARU NARUSEGAWA**.

In a cold voice, Keitaro passed judgment on Naru, enjoying the look of shock on her face. "Your lease has been terminated, Narusegawa, and your family has been notified. I hope they can afford a good lawyer, Naru, since I am suing your family for every yen they're worth for damages to Hinata House."

Naru was in a state of shock. "You got to be joking. You can't evict me." When she saw that Keitaro wasn't kidding, she lost it. "You can't do this!" she screamed. "You have no right!"

"Sure I can," Keitaro replied as several police officers, along with a female detective came out of the school, surrounding them both. "And one more thing, Naru..." He turned to the detective.

The detective approached Naru and was direct to the point. "Naru Narusegawa, you are under arrest," the detective cooly said as the uniformed officers handcuffed her. "The charges are destruction of property, reckless endangerment and assault."

"Wait--ow!" Naru cried as the officers handcuffed her. "I didn't hurt anybody!"

"Tell that to your landlord," one of the cops replied, motioning to Keitaro. "He's the one filing the charges. And about time too."

"You won't be alone too long, Naru," Keitaro said. He was just doing his job as the landlord of Hinata House. "Kitsune and Motoko will be joining you shortly." He then smiled coldly. "And the heads of the cram school wanted me to tell you that you are no longer welcome at Sagassi. Furthermore, you are banned from Hinata House...permanently."

Keitaro turned and walked away, leaving a screaming Naru being forced into a waiting police car. "You bastard! You goddamned pervert! I'm gonna get you for this!"

Before Naru could be shoved into the police car, she assaulted one of the cops by headbutting him, forcing him to let her go and made a beeline straight for Keitaro. As she leapt into the air, preparing to dropkick him Suu-style, the arresting detective quickly pulled out a tazer, aimed and fired at Naru. The two electrodes found its mark, sending 5,000 volts into Naru's body, effectively disabling her from injuring Keitaro.

"You can also add assaulting one of Tokyo's finest to your crimes, Narusegawa," the detective said as the cops picked up Naru's twitching form and tossed her into the car.

'One down, two to go,' Keitaro thought as he headed for his next destination: Motoko's high school

At Motoko's high school, the aforementioned kendoist, in her school uniform was in class. She was at her desk, when the teacher was interrupted by another police detective, who was flanked by two uniformed cops.

"Can I help you?" the teacher asked.

"I'm looking for Motoko Aoyama," the detective replied coldly.

The teacher pointed Motoko out, who stood up from her desk. "I am Motoko Aoyama," Motoko said as the three cops closed in. "What is this about--hey, ow! Let go of me, you vile male!" Motoko shouted as her hands were pulled behind her back and the cold steel of handcuffs clicked down on her wrists.

"Motoko Aoyama, you are under arrest for destruction of property, reckless endangerment and assault with a deadly weapon," the detective announced.

Before Motoko could respond to the charges, Keitaro walked in. In an instant, Motoko turned her attention to her landlord. "Urashima, what is the meaning of this?!" Motoko demanded. She then froze when she saw the pink sheet of paper which read **NOTICE OF EVICITON: MOTOKO AOYAMA**.

"What do you think, you kendo freak," Keitaro replied coldly as he held the eviction notice up in front of her. "I've had enough of bending over backwards for you three and all I get is pain afterwards. You can keep Naru company in jail. Kitsune will be joining you and Naru soon. And don't bother coming back to Hinata House, Motoko. You're evicted, effective immediately, and banned for life from Hinata House."

He then gave Motoko a cold smile. "Tsuruko has been notified and will meet you at the police station. Oh and Motoko, I'm also suing your kendo school, as well as Narusegawa to pay for the damages for Hinata House."

Keitaro turned and walked out of the classroom as the shocked students watched as the cops led a struggling and screaming Motoko out of the classroom, shouting obscenities after Keitaro.

Upon exiting the classroom, Motoko saw the departing figure of her now-former manager. But the main persons that was waiting for her was the school's head and vice-principals.

As with Keitaro had done earlier, the principal was brief. "I am very disappointed in you, Aoyama," she said. "You have dishonored the school and the kendo club with this scandal, and we can't have one leading the kendo club after such a travesty."

Motoko's blood ran cold as the principal intoned, "You are hearby ejected from the kendo club and banned."

* * *

Hinata House.

Kitsune dragged herself to her room, having returned from an all-night party with some friends. Upon arriving, she saw that her door was boarded up, barring her from entry, as well as the eviction notice that was taped to her door: **NOTICE OF EVICTION: MITSUNE KONNO**.

"You finally showed up," Keitaro said as he exited his room.

Kitsune showed the eviction notice to him. "What the hell is this? And why can't I get to my room?"

"It's a notice of eviction," Keitaro replied, the tone in his voice made Kitsune's blood run cold. "As landlord of the Hinata House, you have overstayed your welcome."

Several more police officers exited Keitaro's room and approached Kitsune.

The detective simply asked Kitsune, "Mitsune Konno?"

"Yeah, that's me, what is this--ow!" Kitsune was cut off as two more officers handcuffed her.

"Mitsune Konno, you are under arrest for embezzlement, theft, blackmail and sexual harassment," the the detective announced.

"**What?!**" Kitsune screamed. She then turned to Keitaro. "You can't do this to me!"

"I'm **still** the landlord of Hinata House," Keitaro replied flatly. "I hope you have a lot of money from your horse races, since I'm suing you for owing back rent and wiping out my life savings. Don't worry, I'm also sending lawsuit notices to both Narusegawa and Motoko's families. You can keep them company in jail."

He turned to the police. "Get her out of my sight."

The police then escorted the handcuffed girl down the stairs. Kitsune was still screaming as they led her away. As they walked past Haruka's teashop, Haruka entered and saw the police escorting Kitsune towards a waiting police car. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Haruka! Your damn nephew is evicting me!" Kitsune screamed as she struggled with the cops. "He also evicted Naru and Motoko!"

Needless to say, Haruka was shocked, since the cigarette that she was currently smoking nearly fell out of her mouth. But she kept her composure. "There's nothing I can do about it. Sorry. Keitaro is the landlord and you three have been taking advantage of him. I guess this must have been the final straw. I'm sorry, Kitsune."

* * *

As the three girls sat in jail, Keitaro held a meeting with the remaining residents of Hinata House, which were Mutsumi, Suu, Shinobu and Sara.

"As of this moment," Keitaro announced, "Motoko Aoyama, Mitsune Konno and Naru Narusegawa are no longer residents of this dorm." Off their shocked expressions, Keitaro continued. "I have evicted them, and pressed criminal charges on all three. I am also suing them for property damages to the dorm. They are banned for life. Should you allow them back into the dorm, then you will join them, as I will evict you as well." With that said, Keitaro excused himself from the common room.

Over the next few days, Suu and Sara had changed their ways regarding Keitaro. Imtimidated by his ruthless actions against Naru, Kitsune and Motoko, they had quickly fell into line. No more did Suu greeted him with a dropkick to the head, nor used him as part of her experiments and Sara stopped smashing priceless artifacts over his head.

* * *

Meanwhile, the former residents of Hinata House were still in jail. While Naru's family was trying to cope with both their daughter in jail and the impending lawsuit from her former manager, Motoko received an unexpected visitor in the form of her sister.

An unhappy Tsuruko Aoyama was led to the holding cell which held Motoko, Naru and Kitsune. The police had to seperate the three from the other prisoners when Naru had knocked a criminal into the wall. For once, instead of her hakama, Tsuruko was dressed in a smart business suit.

As Motoko caught sight of her sister, she felt relieved, thinking that Tsuruko was going to set things right.

She was wrong.

"Oneesan--" Motoko began before being cut off by her sister.

Tsuruko held up the lawsuit papers that she was served with upon arriving from Kyoto. "Do you know what this is, Motoko?" she asked. "These are lawsuit papers. Keitaro is suing our family, as well as the Shinmeiryu Dojo for your slights."

Motoko shrunk back from her sister. "Oneesan, I--"

Tsuruko cut her off. "I've had enough of your excuses, Motoko. I warned you that your male complex would get you into trouble and now, I cannot help you, even if I wanted to." After a brief moment to compose herself, Tsuruko continued. "Urashima has an solid case against you and your friends. We are lucky to even have the school once this is over, and on top of that, you have used our school's techniques to assault an innocent man repeatedly." Tsuruko was visibly shaking now. "Because of your actions, we have lost face!"

"He is not a man," Motoko defended herself. "He is a perverted male--"

"Enough!" Tsuruko commanded. "You have embarassed our family and our school for the absolute last time. The clan and myself have agreed that I will take back my birthright. You are hearby stripped of your sword and are no longer a part of the Shinmeiryu School. You are no longer my sister. You are a disgrace."

With that said, Tsuruko Aoyama walked out of Motoko's life. Motoko, on the other hand, her life shattered and destroyed, sank to her knees and cried.

* * *

Naru's parents, on the other hand, were at Hinata House trying to talk Keitaro out of the lawsuit, as well as dismissing the charges filed against their daughter.

"Listen, Keitaro," Naru's father said. "I sent Naru away because she was having problems at home. She really is a sweet girl once you get to know her. Don't you think you're overreacting?"

Keitaro wouldn't budge. "Your...'sweet' daughter has assaulted me numerous times and has caused massive damage to the dorm. I have forgiven her many times in the past, but not this time." Keitaro showed the man several photos of the damages that Naru had created whenever she had punched him through a wall or through the roof. "This is what your daughter did."

Naru's stepmother looked at the photos in shock. "There is no way that Naru could have done this."

"Oh really?" Keitaro replied. "I got witnesses that say otherwise."

"Please reconsider the lawsuit," Naru's stepmother pleaded. "What you are asking for...you will bankrupt us."

Keitaro thought about it for a moment before replying, "Narusegawa's room is right above mine. I want it cleaned out in three hours or else I will throw everything out to the street. This meeting is over. Good day."

With Keitaro showing Naru's parents the door, the meeting was indeed over. There was no turning back now.

* * *

Naru had convinced her parents into letting Motoko stay with them, since she had no other place to go. With Sagassi out of the picture, as well as Tokyo University (since they notified her that they will not accept her, even if she did pass the exams), Naru felt her anger rise at Keitaro for destroying her dreams, as well as those of Motoko.

Naru's parents have hired a lawyer, one of the best in the country to represent all three girls. However, after looking over the facts in their case, the lawyer concluded that Keitaro's case against them was completely ironclad.

"There's nothing I can do. Keitaro's case is pretty much ironclad. He has evidence and witnesses who will testify that both Naru and Motoko have assaulted him. They can also testify that Konno had swindled money from him and set him up for assaults by both girls. The only chance that your daughter and her friends have is that they plead out and hope that the prosecutors will cut them a break."

Having no other choice, Naru, Motoko and Kitsune each plead guilty when they had their day in court. Keitaro and Haruka were also present at the hearing.

"Am I to understand that each one of you has plead guilty in this case?" the judge asked.

"Yes, sir," Naru replied. Motoko nodded, as did Kitsune.

"Does the prosecution have anything else to add before I pass sentence?"

"No, your honor," the prosecutor replied.

The judge looked at the three defendants. "Now, given the testimony and evidence in this case, I should throw the book at you. But since the three of you agreed to the guilty plea, I have no choice to give you the deal offered by the district attorney."

He paused for a moment. "Naru Narusegawa and Motoko Aoyama, I am placing the both of you on twelve months' probation. You will also undergo psychiatric treatment for the next nine months. Mitsune Konno, I am also placing you on nine months' probation and hearby ordering you to pay back Keitaro Urashima back every yen you swindled from him. Furthermore, the three of you are not to go within 500 yards of Hinata House, nor to have any contact with their tenants, or Mr. Urashima himself. If you break any of these terms, then you will be charged and tried. So ordered by the court."

With the whack of the gavel, the court was dismissed. Naru watched as Keitaro and Haruka walked out of the courtroom before being ushed out by several bailiffs, their hands on their batons should her or Motoko try anything funny.

It was finally over.


	14. Alternative Ending Part Two

Alternative Ending - Part Two

Two months had passed since Kitsune, Naru and Motoko were expelled from Hinata House.

Since then, things have gotten better around Hinata House. Keitaro had used the money from the lawsuits to pay Ryu and Chun Li for helping repair the dorm.

In the meantime, Kitsune had found herself a job and had started to pay Keitaro back for all the money she pilfered from him. Motoko and Naru, in the meantime, were watching Hinata House. From what they heard, they found out that the state of the dorm was improving, as well as Keitaro's orders in making the girls' dorm now a co-ed establishment.

Naru found out about this from Shinobu. The former Hinata House tenant had ran into the young cook while Shinobu was on a field trip into Tokyo. Naru was on her way back from attending cram school (which was a second-rate establishment, unlike Sagassi) while Motoko managed to graduate from high school, despite the disgrace she had endured at the hands of her manager.

While Shinobu was at the museum with her class, she ran into Naru.

"What are you doing here?" Shinobu gasped. "I can't be seen here with you."

Before she could leave, Naru gently grabbed Shinobu's shoulder. "Shinobu, wait. I just want to talk to you for a second. Please."

Despite the fact that Naru was breaking the law, Shinobu conceeded. "Okay. You got three minutes. What is it?"

Naru played it cool, acting casual around the skeptical cook. "So...what's been going on since we've left?"

Shinobu shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing big. Sempai turned the dorm into co-ed. We even got some new tenants. One is a boy, around my age. His parents are chefs and he can also cook too. Sempai's friends also moved in both Motoko and Kitsune's old rooms. He even fixed the hole in your old room."

Naru's blood was boiling, but she managed to keep her cool. "Keitaro made the dorm co-ed?"

Shinobu nodded. "Yeah. He even hired this couple to make the repairs. They are also martial artists. They just completed the repairs."

In the back of her mind, Shinobu know all too well that Naru was furious. She could even guess what Naru's next question was.

"Keitaro's not doing anything to you, is he?" Naru asked.

Shinobu shook her head. "No. But he and Mutsumi have gotten together." Despite the fact that she had a crush on the dorm manager, Shinobu was happy to see that Keitaro was finally happy with someone. "In fact, she moved into his room."

That set Naru off. "Mutsumi? Keitaro hooked up with **Mutsumi**?! What about our promise?! I was his promised girl and that bitch took advantage!"

While Naru was ranting, Shinobu quietly made her way back to her class. When Naru finally noticed that Shinobu was gone and that the security officers were closing in on her, she quickly departed.

* * *

Kitsune, in the meantime was ordered to pay back Keitaro all the money she had pilfered from him. She had gotten a job working as a waitress at a restaurant. While working there one day, she met a charming older man. Unfortunately for her, the man was more cunning and wily than her.

Several weeks later, Kitsune would disappear.

No one would know where she was...until now...

* * *

On her way back home, Naru had missed the train, forcing her to take a shortcut through the local neighborhood, where courtesans and prostitutes worked the streets. As she passed one building in particular, a man was exiting the front door.

Bidding him goodbye, was Kitsune. Unlike the fox that Naru once knew, she was anything but. Kitsune's hair had gotten longer, back to the point of how she wore it back in her high school days. She was also dressed in a partially-opened kimono. Makeup smeared her face. Bags were under her eyes.

"Kitsune!" Naru screamed, running over to her missing friend. She then skidded to a stop as she took in the sight before her. "Kitsune..."

The former fox of Hinata House turned to her friend. "Naru? Oh, God. I didn't want you to see me like this."

"What happened to you?" Naru managed to get out. "You disappeared."

Kitsune gave Naru a sad smile. "I met a man while I was working as a waitress. I should have been more careful. He said that he can help me pay off my debt to Keitaro. I didn't know he was a pimp."

Naru grabbed Kitsune's hand. "Kitsune...come with me, please. We can help you." She then saw the tracks in Kitsune's arms. "Kitsune..."

Kitune gently pulled Naru's hand away. "It's too late for me, Naru. He's got me addicted to opium. There's no way out for me. Get out of here. Don't come back." With that said, Kitsune went back inside.

That image stayed with Naru. Her friend, drugged and turned out was forever burned into her memory. Somewhere, along the lines, Naru surmized that it was all Keitaro's fault.

'If that pervert hadn't evicted us,' Naru thought darkly, 'then Kitsune wouldn't end up like that.'

It would be the last time that Naru would ever see her friend alive.

* * *

At Hinata House, things were starting to heat up between Keitaro and Mutsumi. One day, while the tenants were out, Keitaro was relaxing in the hot springs when Mutsumi came in. Without a word, she stepped into the hotspring.

Lucky for them that the dorm was empty, otherwise, they would have a hard time explaining to the younger residents as to what they were doing.

They had started in the bath, which carried on into their room, thus sealing their relationship.

* * *

As Keitaro's life gotten better, Naru and Motoko - the latter having graduated from high school - were now sharing an apartment. Naru's father knew the landlord, who gave them a reasonable deal.

Naru had told Motoko about her encounter with Kitsune, and like Naru, Motoko had arrived at the same conclusion: that it was Keitaro's fault. But they couldn't do anything, since they were no longer welcome at Hinata City, or at Hinata House.

Naru had managed to get into a community college and was doing good. Motoko was attending cram school and had gotten remarkable high marks. She tried to make amends with Tsuruko, but it was no use. All Tsuruko said was "I have no sister. Don't call here again."

Naru tried to talk to Shinobu again, but even the attitude of Hinata House's young chef cooled towards them.

One morning, as they were having breakfast, Naru explained to Motoko about her attempted conversation to Shinobu. "That pervert turned her against us," Naru said as she adjusted the volume on the radio. "I should have done more with Kitsune."

"What we should do is take back what is ours," Motoko urged. "We should go back to Hinata House and throw Keitaro and the rest of those males out. Those men have nothing to do with being in an all-girls dormitory."

Before Naru could reply to that, the radio was playing the news.

"And in other news, the police has identified the body of a young woman found beaten to death in the Chiyoda district several nights ago. That woman has been positively identified as twenty-two year-old Mitsune Konno--"

That was all both Naru and Motoko had heard before they started screaming.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Hinata House, Haruka found her nephew with Mutsumi. She had taken him to the side and gave him the news.

"I take it you heard," Haruka said in her deadpan voice.

Keitaro blinked. "About what?"

"About Kitsune." Off Keitaro's confused look, Haruka continued. "They found her several days ago. She was half-naked, and beaten to death. Someone had taken a tire iron to her head several times."

Keitaro slowly absorbed the news. The former fox of Hinata House was dead.

Haruka continued. "The police came by and filled me in. Turned out she had met a man who gave Kitsune an easy way out of paying you back. Turned out that the guy was a pimp who turned Kitsune out and drugged her with opium. She was killed when she tried to run. The pimp has been arrested with her murder."

Keitaro swallowed several times before looking at the older woman. "Aunt Haruka," he began, "do you think I was over the line when I evicted those three?"

Haruka thought about it for a moment, having decided to let Keitaro slide on calling her 'Aunt.' "You did what you have to do. You are the landlord of Hinata House. What happened to Kitsune was not your fault. Remember that. She made her own choices. But..."

"Narusegawa and Aoyama," Keitaro replied calmly, guessing what Haruka would say next. "They would more than likely blame me for her death. And knowing them, they would come after me."

* * *

Kitsune's body was cremated and her ashes scattered by Naru and Motoko. Once the funeral was over, they decided to turn their attention to the man who they think was respnosible for their friend's death.

Keitaro Urashima.

* * *

Three months after Kitaune's death, an engagement party was underway for Keitaro Urashima and Mutsumi Otohime. Keitaro's friends as well as the tenants of Hinata House were present. Also there were Tsuruko Aoyama, whome Keitaro had invited, as well as Ryu and Chun Li.

The party was at Hinata House. Tsuruko had brought along her husband, Shin for the festivities as well, following her duel with Ryu (which had ended in a draw). Chun Li and Tsuruko were chatting about fighting techniques while Shinobu and the other boy around her age, a young cook like herself named Ryuji Watanabe, were busy cooking the food. Over the months, Shinobu had gotten over her crush on Keitaro and turned her attention to Ryuji. Seta also attended, and was hanging around Haruka.

Following Kitsune's death, Keitaro had broken the news to the others. Each one took it hard, but unlike Naru and Motoko, they didn't find Keitaro at fault.

That's when Naru and Motoko crashed the engagement party. With a karate team of men-haiting girls behind them, they looked for the one man who was the bane of their existence. Naru had her fists while Motoko held a steel katana in her hands. A tanto was stapped to the small of her back.

"What the hell is this?" Keitaro demanded. He then caught sight of his former tenants. "Oh. It's you two."

Meanwhile, Mutsumi and Haruka were ushering the younger tenants, as well as those who can't fight out of harms' way, sending them to the second floor, with Mutsumi watching them as Haruka went back down the stairs.

Motoko pointed her sword at Keitaro. "You killed Kitsune, you bastard! Now you burn in Hell."

"Motoko," Tsuruko warned, her hand at her own sword. "Stop this right now! Urashima wasn't responsible for your friend's death. That fault was her own."

"I can't hear you," Motoko taunted. "I have no sister, remember?"

"You know you're violating your plea agreements, right?" Haruka drawled. "You can't be here."

"Stay out of this!" Naru snarled. "This is between us and Keitaro." She turned towards the younger Urashima, hatred in her eyes. "If you hadn't evicted us...Kitsune would still be alive...I would have been in Todai..." She then exploded. "**YOU RUINED MY DREAMS! YOU'RE DEAD, KEITARO!**"

It was clear to even Keitaro that both Motoko and Naru were beyond reason. They were out for his blood.

Then all hell broke loose.

Fortunately, with the younger tenants out of the way, Keitaro didn't have to worry about them getting hurt as Motoko made a beeline for him...only to be stopped by Tsuruko. Seta, Ryu and Chun Li were fighting off the Karate team with little difficulty.

Naru spotted Keitaro retreating towards the stairs, and gave chase. However, a foot to the head stopped her. When she shook the effects of the attack off, she was facing Haruka. The cigarette was gone from her lips and her bored expression was gone, replaced by one of anger towards the former tenants.

"That's far enough, Naru," Haruka drawled. "I can't let you hurt my nephew or his fiancee."

Naru raised her fists. "I was his promised girl! Not that Okinawan bitch! He betrayed me! If I can't have him, then no one will!"

While Naru and Haruka fought, Motoko and Tsuruko were caught in the middle of a heated sword battle which had moved outside. Motoko had improved, but Tsuruko knew she was better as she deflected Motoko's wild swings and ki attacks. As they fought, the Karate team was quickly subdued.

"You never could beat me, little sister," Tsuruko replied as she avoided another Shinmeiryu ki technique. "And you continue to use the style of the school which you were banned from. You are not a martial artist!"

"I am tired of your lectures, Tsuruko," Motoko snapped. "And I am tired of living in your shadow. I will take back what's mine!"

Motoko's anger proved to be a huge mistake. As Motoko missed with an underhand, Tsuruko's own blade came down, slashing Motoko's sword arm. The disgraced kendoka cried out as she dropped the sword, which clattered to the ground. Tsuruko quickly picked it up and tossed it away. Holding her arm, she saw that she had lost the battle. The Karate club was defeated and she saw a battered Naru flee the scene, having been beaten by Haruka. She too, turned tail and fled.

* * *

Once everything was situated at Hinata House, the Tokyo Police Department was out in force, looking for the two fugitives, with Chun Li and Tsuruko leading the charge. It would be three days before they found Motoko. She was inside a Shinto temple, keeled over a pool of blood, a bloodied tanto in her hand, her stomach split open.

Motoko had committed seppuku. She had left a note before she died: 'I have disgraced my school and my family. Please forgive me.'

Naru was never seen in Hinata City again. She had planned this for a long time. Once her and Motoko's vengeance against Keitaro was complete, she and Motoko would flee to America and start over. With Keitaro still breathing and Motoko dead, Naru hastily fled the country. Chun Li wasn't about to let her get away with it. Naru may have thought this through, but Chun Li was better.

When Naru arrived in Lanai City, she thought she was scot-free.

She was wrong.

Upon arriving at the airport, she was greeted by Chun Li, and a number of Interpol agents. Naru tried to run, but one well-aimed walking stick to the shins by Chun Li stopped her ill-attempt at a getaway.

As Naru was being led away in handcuffs, Chun Li dropped the bomb on her. "Your kendoka friend is dead."

* * *

Naru's trial came swiftly. This time, however, despite Naru's claims that she had done nothing wrong, the judge threw the book at her.

"Naru Narusegawa, for your blatant disregard for the law and your malicious attack on your former manager and his tenants, I am sentencing you to thirty years' imprisonment. So ordered by the courts."

Naru was taken away screaming by the bailiffs as Keitaro watched with a cold look on his face. Mutsumi and Haruka were there along with him as Naru shouted obsenities at the Urashima family, as Natu's family watched in stunned silence.

"**YOU MURDERER! YOU KILLED KITSUNE AND MOTOKO! GODDAMN YOU, KEITARO! YOU PERVERT! YOU BASTARD! YOU'LL GET YOURS ONE DAY!**"

That was the last time that the Urashima family saw Naru Narusegawa.

* * *

Several months passed.

Once everything was back to normal (surprizingly, relatives of the tenants didn't find Keitaro at fault for what had happened), Keitaro married Mutsumi in a private, Western ceremony. The incident at Hinata House was forgotten with the wedding. Mutsumi decided to stay with Keitaro and help with managing the dorm and Haruka's tea shop. Even Granny Hina and Keitaro's stepsister Kanako made it to the wedding. Hina had been told about the girls' expulsion and their murder attempt on her grandson and her new granddaughter-in-law. Hina was shocked at the chain of events, but accepted them.

As for Naru, she would be put through hell upon arriving in prison, suffering the same fate as Kitsune, only this time, she was violated at the hands of the prison guards and several of the prisoners. Her torment would continue for several years until one day, she was found in the communal shower, her wrists slashed.

Her family, long having since disowned her for her crimes, refused to give her a proper burial. Instead, Naru was buried in the prison graveyard, her number being the only thing on her headstone.

Naru and Motoko's final attempt to kill Keitaro from the grave came when they returned as a somewhat misguided Onryō. However, before they can do some serious damage, Keitaro had called Ryu and Tsuruko beforehand and they were able to eliminate the evil spirits once and for all, giving them eternal rest.

In time, the three girls were forgotten as Keitaro and Mutsumi Urashima managed Hinata House. Upon graduating from Tokyo University, they settled down and had their own family. They are still there, living at Hinata House Co-Ed Dormotory, content and in love, Naru being completely forgotten in Keitaro's mind as he continued to raise his family.

End of Part Two

Notes: Well, that's it. I am offically done with Fight Hina. It was one hell of a blast writing this (both the story and the alternative ending). Now, I can focus on some more projects.


End file.
